I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. When someone has a traumatic accident, there are many different body parts that can be injured. One area that is often overlooked is the lower abdomen, where the kidneys and ureters live. Damage to this region of the body can lead to serious quality of life issues as well as chronic medical problems which could require lifelong treatment. A recent case report places all of this into perspective.

The kidneys and ureters filter toxins and other waste products out of the bloodstream and into the urine for excretion from the body. The kidneys are located in the lower abdomen at the back of the body and connect to the bladder via long tubes called ureters. Blunt abdominal trauma can be sustained in a number of ways and lead to traumatic injuries to multiple organs in the abdominal space, including the kidneys and ureters. Examples of common mechanisms of injury include:

Slip and Fall Injuries: Slip and fall injuries in the workplace or on the street can lead to abdominal contusions which could cause hematomas to develop near the kidneys and ureters. This could manifest itself with bruising over the abdominal cavity or with blood in the urine.

Auto Accidents: An auto accident is one of the most common ways that people damage their kidneys and ureters. When someone is involved in an auto accident, improper use of a seat belt can lead to inappropriate pressure directly over the abdomen, leading to serious damage to the kidney. Furthermore, stab wounds from fragments of the vehicle can lead to kidney lacerations.

Sports: Athletics are another common way that kidney damage occurs, particularly in contact sports. Hard tackles in football and soccer can lead to abdominal trauma and damage to these internal organs.

A team of medical professionals recently published a case report of a 20-year-old man who sustained serious renal trauma following an accident involving a motor scooter. This man was a tourist traveling in a foreign city and desired a tour of the area. He signed up to rent a motor scooter from a company so that he could see the sights. As he was riding the motor scooter along the streets of the town, he lost control of the vehicle and was involved in an accident. He struck a hard object and was thrown from his vehicle. Fortunately, he was wearing a helmet; however, he did sustain multiple serious injuries and was transported to the local hospital. Once he arrived, he was examined by medical professionals who ran some lab tests and obtained some images of his abdomen. The bruising on his abdomen was correlated with the images and he was diagnosed with acute kidney damage as well as with damage to the ureters. He was taken to the operating room for repair of both of these injuries.

When someone suffers a serious injury and sustains damage to their kidneys and ureters, there are several serious problems that could develop:

Electrolyte Abnormalities: The kidneys are responsible for controlling the levels of sodium, potassium, chloride, and other electrolytes in the body. Patients could develop issues with these ions and require long-term treatment to keep them under control.

Urinary Issues: The ureters transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Damage to the ureters can make it challenging to transport urine to the bladder for excretion appropriately.

Blood Pressure Problems: Individuals can also develop issues with their blood pressure because this is also regulated by the kidneys. People with high blood pressure could be placed on medication for the rest of their life.

When someone experiences serious medical injuries from an accident such as the one listed above, there are numerous factors that must be considered. These include:

Product Liability Issues: With a motor scooter injury such as this, it is fair to ask whether or not the product was manufactured incorrectly. Were there production defects that increased the likelihood that an accident could result? The design of the product should be investigated to ensure that it was safe for use.

Proper Maintenance is Important: Sometimes, the product was manufactured correctly; however, it may not have been maintained. Everyone who owns a car understands the importance of ensuring it is maintained regularly. The same can be said of motor scooters. Did the business fail to perform regular maintenance on the machine?

Correct Warning Signs are Important: Similar to driving on wet roads, riding a motor scooter on slick surfaces can be hazardous. It is important to make sure that proper warning signs are posted. If they weren’t, how is someone expected to know that the surface could be hazardous to ride on?

These are complicated issues that deserve the attention of an experienced legal professional. If any of these circumstances arise, there could be alternative options for helping someone pay for their medical care. Those with questions should consider reaching out to an experienced personal injury attorney in Sacramento to discuss their rights before making any decisions.

Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer, Ed Smith

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. If you’ve been injured in an accident, call me for free, friendly advice at 916.921.6400.

I belong to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. The forum is reserved for trial attorneys who have obtained Million dollars verdicts.

Some of my case verdicts and settlements may be viewed here.

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Image Attribution: The scan from the top of the page has been shown here under permission of the CC BY SA License, version 3.0, and was originally found on Wikimedia Commons

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