Claiming Compensation for Negligent Perineal and Anal Maternity Care
Negligent medical care of the perineum during vaginal childbirth can leave a new mother with severe problems of anal control and may justify a claim for compensation.
What are severe perineal tears?
A perineal tear often occurs during vaginal childbirth as the pressure of the birth damages the skin and muscle of the area between the vagina and anus. In fact, the majority of women experience a tear of some degree.
A few, however, suffer a tear which continues beyond the perineum and damages the muscles around the anus. These are referred to as severe tears and are classified as 3rd or 4th degree tears.
- A 3a tear damages less than 50% of the external anal sphincter
- A 3b tear damages more than 50% of the anal sphincter
- A 3c tear damages both the external and the internal anal sphincter
- A 4th degree tear additional damages the lining of the internal anal canal
The anal sphincter muscles control the passing of wind and faeces and so any damage to these muscles can affect a woman's capacity to control her bowel movements.
Symptoms of an unrepaired severe perineal tear
If damage remains undiagnosed and unrepaired, the new mother may suffer a range of problems including the following:
- Urgency when needing the toilet
- Leakage of wind or faeces or both
- Repeated perineal infection
- Leakage of wind or faeces from the vagina if the woman develops a fistula
- The need for a stoma to provide bowel function
Claiming compensation
If these symptoms are due to the fact that the new mother did not receive an acceptable level of medical care which should have diagnosed and repaired her injury, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
As well as addressing issues of pain and suffering, a successful claim for compensation will also take account of the financial problems which the woman has experienced and which have been caused by the negligent care.
If a failure to diagnose and repair a severe tear has left a woman with symptoms which make it impossible for her to return to her former career, thereby suffering a loss of income, a successful compensation claim would take this into account.
A successful claim should return the victim to the financial position they would have enjoyed but for the negligence.
Speak to a legal specialist
Glynns Solicitors is a specialist medical negligence legal practice with a team of experienced solicitors.
Contact us today to discuss your situation, free of charge, if you believe that you have been the victim of negligent maternity care.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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