Can I Get Compensation for Birth Tear Bowel Problems?
If the difficulties you are suffering with bowel function have been caused by negligent medical care, it may well be possible to make a claim for compensation.
Birth tears and bowel problems
Not all childbirth tears are the same. The majority of women who suffer a tear to the perineum during vaginal childbirth do not suffer long-term severe bowel difficulties.
Even if you suffer a 3rd or 4th degree tear, a prompt and competent surgical repair should assist you to recover. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists states that, in these circumstances, most women will be symptom-free within a year of the birth.
Significant and on-going bowel problems are most likely to develop when a severe tear is not accurately diagnosed and so does not receive an effective repair.
Third and fourth degree tears
Third and fourth degree tears extend beyond the range of smaller tears and cause damage to the anal sphincter. This refers to the muscles which work to control bowel movement. If they become damaged, their function will be impaired and the new mother will start to experience urgency, leakage and possible incontinence of wind and faeces. It may even be necessary to have a stoma fitted.
Prompt diagnosis and a competent surgical repair are crucial to a healthy long-term outcome.
If such negligence has left you with on-going and life-changing bowel problems, it may be possible to claim compensation or the impact.
Negligence in medical care of the perineum
Substandard medical care of the perineum and anal sphincter during and after vaginal childbirth can occur in the following ways:
- A failure to carry out a thorough examination of the mother's perineum following the birth
- A failure to diagnose or a misdiagnosis of a 3rd or 4th degree tear
- A failure to carry out an effective and full repair of any damage, leaving the new mother to develop long-term bowel problems
Claiming compensation
If negligent care has left you with injuries which would not have been the case with an acceptable level of care, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
If your bowel problems are causing you financial problems, such as being unable to work to the same extent as prior to the injury, such financial losses would be incorporated into a successful claim.
Speak to a legal specialist
The first step in making a claim is to talk to a specialist in medical negligence law.
Glynns Solicitors is a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with a team of experienced lawyers and extensive expertise in birth tear claims.
Contact us today to talk to a solicitor, free of charge, about the possibility of making a claim for compensation.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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