Kidney Injury Compensation Claims

The kidneys are two bean-shaped, fist-sized organs that are situated on either side of the body, just below the ribs, and towards the back of the abdominal space. Although small, these important organs have the crucial job of filtering the body’s blood, a process that involves carefully removing waste products and toxins and ensuring that our electrolyte’s (our body’s essential minerals, such as calcium, sodium, and potassium) are properly balanced.

So that it can be filtered, blood is taken to the kidneys via the left and right venal arteries, which stem directly from the abdominal aorta. The abdominal aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body and is responsible for carrying oxygenated blood form the heart’s left ventricle to other parts of the body, including to the kidneys. The right renal artery, which supplies the right kidney, is slighter longer in length than the left renal artery, the blood vessel responsible for bringing blood to the left kidney. Together, the kidneys filter around 200 litres of fluid every day, with blood constantly circulating throughout the two organs.

Inside the Kidneys

After entering the kidneys, the renal arteries immediately branch off into progressively smaller and smaller vessels, at the end of which are miniscule structures called nephrons.

Each kidney has more than a million nephrons within its internal structure, with the tiny vessels allowing the kidneys to filter the blood effectively and produce urine. For this reason, the nephrons are sometimes called the kidneys’ ‘functional units’, with the name reflecting the important role they have in facilitating the kidneys’ functions. Inside each nephron are two further structures: the glomeruli, and the tubules. The glomeruli are uniquely modified blood vessels that act as filtering mechanisms. The vessels’ thin walls cause small particles, such as water and other waste products, to be filtered from the blood. Larger molecules, such as proteins that the body requires, are too big to fit through the small pores, and remain in the vessel. From the glomeruli, the filtered blood passes into the tubule, which continues to filter the blood to ensure excess levels of acid are safely removed from the body’s bloodstream.

As well as removing toxins, the tubules have the additional role of making sure that any required substances that were filtered out of the blood in the glomeruli are re-absorbed into the blood supply.

The waste products that are not required turn into urine, which is passed into the bladder via the ureters, which are two muscular tubes that carry urine away from the kidneys to be stored ready for urination.

Kidney Injury and Damage

Ultimately, the kidneys play a vital role in keeping the bloodstream healthy and free of toxins. When the blood is clean and substance levels are well-maintained, the body can function effectively. Sadly, there are times when illness and injury can negatively impact the kidneys’ functioning, preventing the organs from filtering the blood effectively. This has the effect of causing toxic substances to accumulate in the blood and symptoms such as dehydration to set in.

Kidney injuries can be divided into two types: acute and chronic. An acute kidney injury (AKI) is said to have occurred when a previously healthy and well-functioning kidney suddenly stops working, causing illness in the affected individual. Symptoms of an AKI include:

• Feeling nauseous or being sick
• Diarrhoea
• Dehydration
• Infrequent urination
• Confusion
• Drowsiness or tiredness

AKIs are extremely serious and must be carefully monitored and treated by healthcare professionals. The term AKI can be confusing, since it doesn’t always mean that a physical injury has been sustained to the organs. Often, AKIs are caused by naturally occurring illnesses that affect the kidneys. In cases where the AKI has been caused by an illness, doctors may treat the illness with antibiotics (if the cause was an infection), or by increasing the person’s fluids to combat dehydration. Sometimes, however, AKIs can be a result of trauma sustained to the kidney, such as in an accident, and different methods of treatment must be considered, such as operations.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is different from acute kidney injury in that it occurs gradually. Whereas AKIs present suddenly and quickly, the symptoms of CKD appear over a period of days, weeks, months, or years, and worsen over time. Symptoms can include:

• Feeling tired
• Finding blood in the urine
• Feeling nauseous
• Experiencing swollen ankles or feet (caused by fluid retention)

Unlike AKIs, which can often be cured, CKD cannot be cursed. Instead, medicines and other methods of treatment can be employed to help slow the disease’s progression to kidney failure.

Kidney Dialysis

For some patients, CKD can progress to the point where the kidneys can no longer work effectively, and artificial dialysis must be used to purify the blood. At this point, the kidneys are said to be in a state of failure. During dialysis, patients are connected to a machine, and their blood is pumped through it. As the blood is circulated inside the machine, it is cleaned of toxins, until only clean blood remains. This blood is then put back into the body. While dialysis is common patients with CKD, it can also be used in patients who have suffered AKIs.

Although dialysis is an effective way of managing kidney failure, it is time-consuming, and usually requires patients to travel to the hospital. Additionally, over time, dialysis can lose its effectiveness, with many patients eventually requiring a kidney transplant. If you have had to undergo kidney dialysis because of an accident that wasn’t your fault, you could be entitled to compensation, and we’re here to help you claim for it.

We believe that anyone who has suffered kidney failure because of someone else’s incompetence should receive the compensation they are entitled to, which is why we’ll work tirelessly to win the compensation you deserve.

If you could like to find out more please get in touch with us today.

Accidents at Work

Kidney injuries can be caused by accidents sustained in the workplace. AKIs can be caused as a result of trauma sustained to the kidney after workplace accidents. Trauma can be divided into two categories: penetrating trauma or blunt force trauma. Penetrating trauma occurs when a sharp object pierces the body, causing injury and damage. In the case of kidney injury and damage, penetrating traumas involve the kidneys being impaled by sharp objects.

In the workplace, this could occur after falling from height onto sharp objects, or after being injured by broken or malfunctioning machinery or equipment. Blunt force trauma, on the other hand, involves the body coming into violent and impactful contact with another surface or object. In the workplace, blunt force trauma to the kidneys could be caused by falling from height.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be caused by workplace exposure to harmful chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, manganese, mercury, or uranium. Depending on your occupation, you may have come into regular contact with these chemicals as part of your job.

Making an industrial disease claim or a personal injury claim against an employer for kidney injuries or damage can be daunting, but they can be successful if it can be shown that your employer failed to adequately protect your health.

Under UK Law, employers have a duty of care to their staff, and must take sufficient measures to ensure their employees are kept safe and risks to their health are avoided or mitigated. To do this, employers should enforce measures such as:

• Providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). This could include equipment that makes working at height safe, or masks to reduce the risk of harm from inhaling potentially dangerous substances.
• Limiting the amount of time employees spend with harmful substances.
• Conducting regular and thorough risk assessments to identify hazards and estimate the risk of that hazard causing harm.
• Using the information gathered through risk assessments to actively prevent dangerous situations from occurring.

If you have become ill with a kidney injury because of your employer’s failure to protect your health, they could be held culpable for your injury, and you could be entitled to compensation. While most claims for injuries must be made within three years of the accident occurring, in the case of CKD, where the symptoms may not present for many years, claims can be made up to three years from the date of the diagnosis.

This means that you could still make a claim even if it was many years since you worked at the company where you sustained your injury.

Other Causes of Kidney Injury and Damage

There are many other potential causes of kidney injury and damage.

Slips, trips, and falls can all cause kidney injuries, they can also be caused by other people’s negligence or incompetence. Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a common cause of abdominal injuries, including kidney injuries and damage. Blunt force trauma can be incurred when the body is slammed against or into another vehicle, or against the dashboard or seats, and penetrating trauma can happen if sharp edges or broken materials impale the abdomen. Criminal assault can also cause damage to the kidney if the abdomen is struck or stabbed during the attack.

Whatever the cause of your kidney injury, if your suffering was caused because of another person’s actions or inactions, you may be able to claim compensation, and we are here to listen to your story and offer help, advice, and guidance. Our friendly and professional team are highly experienced in handling personal injury claims and kidney injury claims, and are available now.

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Making a Kidney Injury Claim 

If you have suffered an injury to your kidney, PSR Solicitor’s specialist Injury Claim Solicitors will assist you in claiming the compensation you deserve.

By selecting PSR Solicitors to handle your kidney injury compensation claim, you can be confident that they will work tirelessly on your behalf to secure you the maximum level of compensation available to you.

We will assess your claim in detail before advising you whether to proceed and in the unlikely event that the claim is unsuccessful, you’ll be protected by our No Win No Fee promise.

Every PSR Solicitors’ Personal Injury Lawyer in Wales and Injury Claims Solicitors in Cheshire is accredited by the Law Society for Personal Injury Claims. This affords you and your family the confidence that your claim is in the hands of an experienced and highly adept legal professional.

Covering North Wales and the Cheshire area, PSR Solicitors have offices in Colwyn Bay, Ellesmere Port, Rhyl, Shotton, Wrexham, Wallasey, and Chester. They are one of the industry’s leading Personal Injury Law Firms and have an exemplary track record in securing the maximum compensation for their clients.

Our LEXCEL Accreditation, again by the Law Society, ensures you will receive nothing but the absolute best in client services, allowing you to focus on recovery and rehabilitation.