You need at least one kidney to survive. But what if they both fail due to a medication, or your doctor’s negligence? You may be able to file a malpractice claim. Here’s what you need to know about kidney failure lawsuits. 

What Is Kidney Failure?

Taking out the trash is probably part of your daily routine. You might not think twice about it. But what if the trash trucks don’t come around to pick it up off the curb? Pretty soon you’ll have a stinky, unsightly mess. 

Kidneys are the “waste removers” of our bodies. When they fall out of working order, the consequences can be dire, and even fatal. Located below the ribs in the back, these two bean-shaped organs filter and clean our blood. They remove harmful substances, which leave the body through urine. 

When kidneys fail, waste can build up in the body. Blood chemistry may become unbalanced. Blood pressure can spike. This can cause the following symptoms and complications:

• Fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fluid retention and weight gain
• Itchy, dry skin
• Loss of appetite
• Swelling, especially in the face, hands, and feet
• Chest pain
• Seizures
• Bone weakness
• Decreased urine production
• Anemia (decrease in red blood cells)
• Coma

The National Kidney Foundation defines kidney failure as a loss of 85-90% of kidney function. This is the “point of no return” so to speak. Dialysis (blood filtering) can help for a time. But the only cure is a kidney transplant.

Why Do Kidneys Fail?

There are a number of reasons why kidneys might stop working correctly. They include:

• Diet and lifestyle issues
• Health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity
• Side effects from medications
• Physical injury or accidents
• Medical malpractice

Kidney failure lawsuits are possible only when they fail due to medical negligence. Let’s take a look at the major culprits when it comes to causing kidney failure. 

Main Reasons For Kidney Failure Lawsuits

Medications

Kidneys are responsible for filtering medications out of your blood. Large amounts of drugs and drug interactions can harm them. When we have filed kidney failure lawsuits for victims, it’s often for one of the following reasons:

• Doctor over-prescribed the medication
• The drug’s makers failed to warn about the medication’s risks
• The physician didn’t consider the patient’s medical history when prescribing a drug
• Doctors or nurses administered the wrong dosage 
• Medical staff didn’t monitor a patient while on medication 

Some common drugs involved in kidney failure lawsuits include proton pump inhibitors, diabetes medications, and ibuprofen. Long-term use of these drugs is known to damage kidneys. 

Drug interactions can also cause kidney failure. Let’s say you take an ace inhibitor medication regularly. You need to go in for a colonoscopy, so your doctor prescribes Osmoprep. Doctors often prescribe that drug to clean out the intestines. 

But Osmoprep is known to interact with ace inhibitors. It even has a black box warning stating that this interaction can cause kidney failure! You don’t know this, so you take the medication on your doctor’s orders. The result? Kidney failure that almost costs you your life. 

No one can blame you, the patient, for not being aware. But your doctor? They could have prevented your pain and suffering. And what about the pharmacist who fulfilled your prescription? They may also be liable. In kidney failure lawsuits, you can name any and all negligent parties.

Surgery

Victims have also filed kidney failure lawsuits because surgeons damaged their organs during surgery. One example of this is when a patient loses blood on the operating table. Major blood loss can lead to kidney failure. 

It’s also possible for a surgeon to puncture or lacerate the kidney by accident while operating. Or, they might leave a sponge or surgical instrument inside the patient’s body, damaging this essential organ.  

Failure To Treat Or Diagnose

A physician might fail to diagnose kidney disease, or a condition like diabetes that could affect the kidneys. If this leads to kidney failure, it could be grounds for a kidney failure lawsuit. 

Likewise, if a doctor knows a patient has a kidney problem, but fails to treat it, it’s medical malpractice. The most common treatment for kidney disease is dialysis. 

Do I Have A Kidney Failure Lawsuit?

Kidney failure is expensive to treat, and difficult to recover from. Monetary damages can pay for hospital treatment, medical bills, and lost wages. But how can you recover damages? 

The first step is finding out if you have grounds for a claim. Our medical malpractice lawyers have ample experience with kidney failure lawsuits. Let us use our expertise to win justice and compensation for you and your family. Contact us here for a case review at no cost to you. 

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