Company Logo | Hands On Auto Tech
Review Stars Rating | Hands On Auto Tech

 4444 Reviews

Tom Maggio loses Leg in Accident

The Accident

On November 27th, 2018, I left work at around 8 PM, exhausted from days of little sleep and no food. While driving west on 119, I briefly fell asleep at 55 MPH. I woke up to sirens and saw a horrifying mess where my left knee used to be. I passed out and woke up again to the sound of firefighters cutting me out of my truck. I pleaded for a tourniquet, but I was pinned and unable to move. Eventually, after identifying myself as a firefighter, they applied the tourniquet, saving my life before I passed out again.

Emergency Care & Surgeries

I woke up in the emergency room, hearing discussions about amputation. I begged them not to cut off my leg. Surgeries began—my hip socket and pelvic bone were repaired with screws and plates. Every procedure involved changing my wound vac, causing excruciating pain. Despite the pain, I held onto hope that my leg could be saved. The doctors warned me about the difficult road ahead, but I insisted on trying. However, after another wound vac change on December 20th, the doctors found life-threatening bacteria in my leg. The decision was made—I had to lose my leg.

The Amputation & Recovery

On December 22nd, my leg was removed. Surprisingly, I felt significantly better. Though I experienced phantom limb pain, it was less than what I had endured before. I underwent a seven-day aggressive antibiotic treatment, which made me feel like I was dying, but by the new year, I was finally ready to go home and begin healing.

Living with Pain

Months later, I discovered that UCHealth had made a devastating mistake. When inserting screws into my pelvis, they used two that were too long. These protruded out of my pelvis, causing immense pain. The hospital hid this for six months by showing me modified X-rays. Only after the statute of limitations expired did they reveal the unaltered X-rays showing the misplaced screws. Removing them would require a risky and expensive surgery. Now, I live with constant, extreme pain.

Moving Forward

Despite everything, I push through each day. I return to the shop to provide the best service possible to my clients. I only wish that hospitals had the same accountability for their work as we do in our business. Through all of this, I remain determined to move forward and continue giving my best every single day.

Share by: