I Want To Sue For A Third Degree Tear
Do you want to sue the hospital responsible for your third degree tear? If so, please get in touch with us at Glynns Solicitors. We specialise in perineal tear claims and will be able to advise whether or not you have the basis for a claim.
When is a 3rd degree tear negligent?
A 3rd degree tear does not usually arise as a result of medical negligence. Unfortunately it is a risk of vaginal childbirth and will affect a small percentage of women in the UK.
There are some exceptions to this. For example, a 3rd degree tear could be attributed to medical negligence if it is caused by a midline episiotomy (which is no longer accepted practice in the UK). Or it may be that the labour was mismanaged, meaning the patient endured a prolonged second stage of labour rather than have an emergency C-section. Again, this can contribute to perineal damage.
However, the main reason 3rd degree tear claims are made is because the injury was not diagnosed and/or treated. Perineal tears are supposed to be diagnosed shortly after the birth and, if it is a 3rd degree tear, sutured in theatre by a surgeon. Sometimes this does not happen.
It may be that the tear was not diagnosed at all. The patient will then leave hospital with a defect that runs through her perineum and anal sphincter. This will make it extremely difficult to control the passing of wind and faeces.
On other occasions a patient will have been told that she has a first or second degree tear, but in such cases the outcome will be the same. Although some form of repair may have taken place, the full length of the tear will not have been stitched, meaning a defect remains in the anal sphincter.
There are also claims which centre on the standard of the repair. It may be that a 3rd degree tear is accurately diagnosed, yet the repair was of a poor standard. Again, a defect will remain.
Third degree tear complications
Therefore reasons a 3rd degree tear claim can arise include a failure to diagnose, an under-diagnosis and an inadequate repair. These will lead to a successful claim because in each instance the patient will be left with ongoing symptoms.
Third degree tears need to be treated shortly after the birth, meaning within one hour. After this time they will be hard to repair and the outcome will be poor. The patient must then face a lifetime of faecal urgency and incontinence.
Want to know more?
If you think you have the grounds to make a third degree tear claim, please get in touch with us at Glynns Solicitors.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
Make An Enquiry
Why Choose Us
- Specialist medical negligence solicitors
- Free initial enquiries
- No win, no fee available
Reviews
Our Expertise
Helping Clients Across England & Wales
