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New data from the Pentagon shows that more veterans suffered amputations of limbs in 2011, then any other year since the September 11 attacks.

The number of veterans who suffered loss of limbs increased from 196 in 2010 to 240 in 2011. This number in 2011 was also an increase from the previous high, which was 205 cases in 2007. California veterans benefits lawyers found that most of those cases occurred during the controversial Iraq surge.

The 240 veterans who suffered amputations in 2011 lost at least one limb, and the Marine Corps suffered the most casualties. A total of 129 Marines suffered amputations in the year 2011. In the Army, there were 100 amputations cases in 2011. Additionally, there were 6 sailors and 5 airmen who suffered amputations.

According to the military, the increase in amputations could be because of the current surge in Afghanistan. It could also be due to an increased use of road patrols in those areas in the country where insurgency is rife.

However, military officials say that this increase in amputations should be seen in a different light. According to them, in previous wars, soldiers suffering an amputated limb would have died from their injuries and from the blood loss. Survival rates for these persons were very low. However, with advances in medical technology, access to better medical care in the battlefield, better medical treatment as well as protective gear, more soldiers now survive serious injuries like amputations. Earlier, the alternative for these veterans would have been death.

The military believes that an increase in severe injuries merely means that more troops are surviving these serious injuries due to better protective measures than before. For instance, the military has been using groin protective gear, ensuring that injuries to this area, which were previously fatal, can now be survived.

Veterans, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, may suffer not just nightmares and flashbacks, but also an inability to drive safely. Thousands of veterans who are returning from combat duty find that it's not just their ability to integrate into their communities and families that are impacted, but also their ability to move around safely. In fact, reckless and erratic driving by veterans is being identified as a possible symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Insurer USAA has conducted a review of thousands of veterans before and after combat duty, and found that the number of accidents involving service members increased by approximately 13% after deployment. The risk of accidents was especially high during the first 6 months after an overseas tour. The data was taken from between 2007 and 2010. USAA is now collaborating with researchers, the military and other groups to devel deeper into this issue.

According to statistics, 48 soldiers died in automobile accidents last year when they were off duty. That is the highest number of fatalities involving veterans in automobile accidents in 3 years. The Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs are currently investing in research into the link between deployment and an increased risk of dangerous and aggressive driving.

The Veterans Affairs Center in Albany has already implemented a program to help veterans understand how their deployment might help push the wrong buttons when they're driving. Researchers in Palo Alto, California are developing treatment programs that they believe can help treat people with PTSD who find themselves frustrated or irritable at the wheel.

California veterans benefits lawyers are familiar with the effects of active deployment on a person's driving skills. In fact, veterans from the Gulf War and the Vietnam War have been found to be more likely to die in automobile accidents than veterans who were not deployed. However, Iraq and Afghanistan vets have been exposed to more roadside bombs, and this has possibly contributed to more severe symptoms of PTSD.