Compensation for Perineal Tear Symptoms
Suffering a perineal tear during the birth of your child is not necessarily due to any negligence on the part of the medical professionals who attended the birth. Long-term symptoms due to a failure to deal with your injury, however, may well be regarded as negligence and may justify a claim for compensation.
The effects of a misdiagnosed tear
Where a severe birth injury, such as a third or fourth degree tear, is misdiagnosed and the woman does not receive an effective and full repair, the symptoms which may persist can be embarrassing, debilitating and practically difficult to cope with.
- Wind incontinence can mean that the woman passes wind accidentally. This can cause embarrassment and often results in a restricted social and working life
- Faecal incontinence can mean extreme urgency when needing to go to the toilet. This can reduce a woman's life to focusing on her access to a toilet and can result in an increasing reluctance to leave the home, impacting on the woman's earning capacity and her ability to support her children financially and socially. Where a woman has lost control of her bowels completely, the fear of bowel 'accidents' can lead to social isolation
Making a compensation claim
If these long-term symptoms have been the result of failings by medical professionals, a successful compensation claim can, at least, help to deal with the financial implications.
A perineal tear during childbirth should be diagnosed at the time of the birth. The woman should undergo a thorough examination of her perineum and anal region in order to check for signs of injury. Any damage should be accurately classified according to the guidelines of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. This would enable a comprehensive and accurate repair to be achieved.
A failure to diagnose a perineal tear accurately or a failure to repair such damage competently may justify the woman affected in making a compensation claim.
If her on-going symptoms are regarded as having been caused by a failure of diagnosis of repair, she may be considered to have been the victim of medical negligence.
Seeking legal advice
If you are suffering the shocking long-term impact of an undiagnosed severe tear, you should talk to a specialist solicitor about the possibility of making a claim for compensation.
Contact us today to discuss your situation with an experienced medical negligence solicitor with expertise in perineal tear claims.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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