Bowel Control Lost to Maternity Negligence: How to Make a Claim
Contact a medical negligence solicitor if substandard maternity care has left you with severe bowel problems.
Loss of bowel control following vaginal childbirth
To find that you can no longer control the passing of wind and faeces following the birth of your baby is a pretty devastating discovery. Not only can it impact on your capacity to care for your baby, but it can also restrict your ability to work, your ability to engage in a wide range of activities and fundamentally, undermine your self-confidence.
If this appalling situation is found to have been caused by negligent maternity care, it should be possible to make a claim for compensation. A successful claim will take account of the financial losses which you have suffered as a result of the negligent care.
Loss of bowel control following labour is caused by either a 3rd or 4th degree tear. These extended perineal tears cut into the muscles around the anus, damaging the woman's ability to control the passing of wind and faeces. The damage can be limited to the external muscle (a 3a or 3b tear) or it can cut further into the internal muscle (a 3c tear) and the lining of the anal canal (a 4th degree tear).
Negligent maternity care
These shocking injuries are a known risk of vaginal childbirth, especially for first-time mothers or women who have required an instrumental delivery. Competent maternity care should minimise the risk where possible and ensure that a thorough examination is carried so that any and all damage is identified. Without this, there will be no repair and the new mother will struggle with these appalling symptoms.
The guidelines are clear but, occasionally, an examination is missed or a diagnosis is inaccurate and the new mother suffers the consequences.
How to make a claim
The first things to do is to talk to a specialist medical negligence solicitor. They will analyse the quality of your maternity care by scrutinising your medical records for evidence that there has been an act of negligence, resulting in your appalling symptoms and bowel dysfunction.
If this is the case, they will make a thorough assessment of the ways in which your life has been affected and the financial losses which you have suffered and are likely to continue to suffer.
This will form the basis of your claim.
Free legal advice
Glynns Solicitors is a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with extensive expertise in birth tear claims.
Contact us today to talk to a solicitor, free of charge, about what has occurred to you and 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.
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
