Bowel Disability and Compensation for Cauda Equina Negligence
If financial losses due to bowel disability are due to negligent medical care, it may be possible to make a claim for compensation.
The consequences of bowel disability
Bowel incontinence can be utterly life-changing. When combined with bladder incontinence and mobility issues, as is often the case with cauda equina syndrome, the patient's quality of life and ability to work can be severely restricted.
An individual with compromised bowel function may find that they experience significant urgency when needing to go to the toilet, feeling as if they have only a few moments in which to reach a toilet. They may suffer with leakage of wind or faeces which may cause embarrassment or hygiene concerns.
One of the consequences of this debilitating situation is that the individual may find that they are restricted in the nature of employment which they can undertake. Work within the hospitality, education and healthcare sectors, for example, may prove difficult to undertake successfully and confidently.
Cauda equina medical negligence and bowel disability
An individual with cauda equina syndrome may suffer problems with their control of bowel function because the cauda equina nerves, which recognise sensation in the bowel and control muscle movement, are no longer working properly.
This distressing situation can sometimes be avoided or minimised with an early diagnosis of nerve compression. Consequently, if medical professionals have the opportunity to make an early diagnosis but fail to do so, leaving the patient to suffer a deterioration in both their condition and they long-term outcome, it may be possible to make a claim for compensation.
Failings of medical care which might be regarded as negligent in this regard could include the following:
- A failure to recognise or suspect that the patient's symptoms may be indicative of cauda equina compression
- A failure to examine the patient for possible further signs of nerve compression as a cause of their symptoms
- A failure to make a timely referral
- A failure to provide appropriate red flag warnings when that would be appropriate
- A delay in initiating surgery
Speak to a legal specialist
Compensation claims for cauda equina medical negligence are highly complex so, if you think that you might have a claim, it would be advisable to speak with a specialist solicitor.
Glynns Solicitors is a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with long-standing experience in cauda equina claims. Contact us today to speak with a solicitor, free of charge, about the possibility of making a claim.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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