Unrepaired 4th Degree Tear and How to Claim Compensation
A 4th degree tear in childbirth needs a comprehensive and prompt repair. Without this, the new mother may suffer permanent, distressing and severely disabling symptoms.
4th degree tears and consequences
A 4th degree tear, which only happens to a small minority of women, causes damage beyond the vagina and perineum. Unfortunately, this destructive tear enters the anal sphincter and causes damage to both the external and internal anal muscles as well as damaging the lining of the anal canal.
It is sometimes associated with the development of a fistula between the anus and the vagina, thereby allowing wind and faecal matter to leak from the vagina.
Treatment sometimes requires the new mother to be fitted with a stoma to provide bowel function.
The consequences – practical, psychological and financial – can utterly alter a woman's way of life. She may struggle to work, she may suffer significant emotional distress, she may be unable to engage in a wide range of activities and she may struggle to bond with her baby.
The financial implications, such as a loss of earnings if she cannot work, can be considerable.
Medical negligence and making a claim
If negligent medical care has caused this distressing outcome by failing to identify and repair such a severe injury, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
Examples of maternity negligence which may leave a woman with an undiagnosed or unrepaired 4th degree tear could include the following:
- A failure to carry out a digital rectal examination of a woman who has given birth through the vagina
- A failure to diagnose when a 4th degree tear has occurred
- A failure to identify that a fistula has developed
- A failure to repair a 4th degree tear fully
In order to establish if this has happened to you or a loved one, it is necessary to engage the services of a specialist medical negligence solicitor who will obtain copies of your medical records and investigate the quality of your maternity care.
If you are found to have been the victim of substandard care, they will further assess its impact on you, your quality of life and the financial ramifications.
Speak to a legal specialist
Glynns Solicitors is a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with a team of experienced solicitors and a wealth of expertise in severe birth tear claims.
Contact us today to talk to a friendly solicitor, free of charge, about the possibility of making a claim.
We can offer No Win No Fee medical negligence funding which we will discuss with you during your free initial telephone discussion.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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