Man saws off his hand in work accident, has it reattached
A man in Norfolk, Nebraska, recently sawed off his own hand in a workplace accident. Amazingly, doctors acted quickly and reattached the severed hand.
That man works for BonnaVilla, a company that builds modular homes. His job is to use a radial arm saw to cut 2x6 boards. The saw functions by pressing down on a foot pedal, causing the blade to move. The man had used it before and was experienced with it.
However, on the day of the accident, he ran out of wood and needed another board. There were more on the ground nearby, so he simply leaned over and reached to take one. As he reached out, though, his foot accidentally stepped on the pedal, and the saw shot out. He said he was watching as the blade sliced through his right hand, cutting it completely off.
Amazingly, he did not pass out or faint, but just yelled for help. People were able to get his hand stored on ice and rushed it to the hospital with him. He said one of the first things he thought of when it happened was whether or not the doctors could put it back on, and that’s exactly what they did.
However, as with most procedures like this, they can’t promise him that it will be the same as it was before the accident, and it likely won’t be. He’s already had multiple surgeries and skin grafts.
Accidents like this typically come with very high medical bills, and they can be life-changing even when doctors do their best. It’s crucial for those who are injured to know if they can seek workers’ compensation.
Source: Norfolk Daily News, “Norfolk doctors reattaches man’s hand,” Kelli Rollin, June 28, 2016