A scooter accident put actor Danny Pintauro in the hospital over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
The “Who’s the Boss” star posted about it on Instagram.
Pintauro played Jonathan Bower in the ABC TV sitcom “Who’s the Boss” from 1984 to 1992. More recently, in 2022, he co-starred in a Lifetime TV movie called “A Country Christmas Harmony.”
“Have a terrible scrape on my arm and I was pretty convinced I had a broken arm,” Pintauro posted. “The next morning it was a whole lot better so I didn’t worry as much.”
Pintauro subsequently started to worry about his injuries after he began experiencing chest pains that spread to other parts of his body.
The pain was so significant across his chest, stomach, and shoulder muscles that he could barely breathe.
“It was the worst moment of my life,” he said.
At that point, Pintauro went to Memorial Care Miller Hospital, where he had several tests, including a CAT scan, an x-ray, and blood work.
Pintauro was told a tear in his stomach lining caused an infection in his bloodstream, allowing air and stomach acid to escape into his abdomen.
“It’s been the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt in my whole life,” he said, explaining that he had to “have emergency surgery to repair the tear.”
Up to 15 percent of people who have experienced bleeding in their stomach or esophagus find that it’s a result of a Mallory Weiss tear.
Dr. Hooman Melamed, an orthopedic spine surgeon in Beverly Hills, noted that if proper medical attention is delayed, the condition can be deadly.
“A tear in the stomach can result from trauma, which appears to have been the case with Mr. Pintauro,” Melamed told The Epoch Times on Dec. 3.
“Mr. Pintauro did the right thing in listening to his body and seeking treatment in a timely manner.”
Melamed has treated several patients who have been seriously injured while riding scooters.
“Primarily, I’m seeing vertebrae fractures of the spine, which can be very serious as it can result in complete paralysis due to the crash itself or because the individual was moved following the crash—an avoidable situation that occurs too frequently,” he said.
The number of scooter accidents and injuries has been increasing in recent years.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found a 22 percent increase in e-scooter injuries in 2023 compared to previous years.
“Most people riding rental scooters do not wear safety gear,” transportation engineer Nathan Kautz told The Epoch Times on Dec. 3. “The scooters can be metered to certain speeds, but without safety gear, even 10–15 mph can be enough to cause significant injuries when falling on a hard surface.”
Kautz worked with the Florida Department of Transportation for nearly 11 years, during which time he sat on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Coalition and Motorcycle Safety Coalition.
The increase in scooter-related accidents is a result of the rise in popularity of scooters and other electric micromobility, according to Daniel Levine, director of the Avant Guide Institute, a New York City travel and consumer trends consulting firm.
“The scooter trend is dominated by Asia because of government initiatives promoting sustainable transportation,” Levine told The Epoch Times on Dec. 3. “They’re cheap, quiet, and relatively easy on the environment.”
Seattle-based personal injury attorney Miguel Custodio advises the public to be aware of and follow local and general rules of the road before jumping on a rental scooter.
“Don’t expect others to be looking out for you,” Custodio told The Epoch Times on Dec. 3. “Bring a helmet and wear it. Don’t double-ride. Don’t burden your hands with devices, bags, or anything else.”
