Birth injury to mother medical negligence claims

Bowel incontinence after childbirth

Women who have suffered severe (third and fourth degree) perineal tears during childbirth can be left with bowel incontinence. This can present as urge incontinence (having to dash to the toilet), wind incontinence and faecal leakage.

We are proud to support the MASIC Foundation charity and work alongside them. Our team are recommended by them as a source of accredited legal advice. The MASIC Foundation is the only charity supporting women who have suffered severe perineal injury during childbirth which results in bowel incontinence.

If you think you may have a compensation claim for bowel incontinence following childbirth call us now on 0800 316 8892 or contact us online to arrange a call back.

What goes wrong during childbirth?

Sometimes negligent failures in obstetric or midwifery care during childbirth can lead to unnecessary perineal tears being suffered. Other women suffer from a tear that is not identified at birth which means they are not repaired immediately. Immediate treatment usually prevents any symptoms but some do not have their perineal tears properly diagnosed for some time, which leads to problems later.

What is the impact of bowel incontinence after childbirth?

Bowel incontinence after childbirth has a devastating effect on women’s health as well as their lives, relationships and livelihoods. It can often be hard for women to speak up about these problems because of embarrassment and the perceived stigma associated with these conditions.

Women are left feeling isolated and with a loss of dignity. There is a huge impact on women’s mental health. It can affect a mother’s ability to bond with her baby and can affect future family plans. Women with these injuries often lose time from work and some are unable to go back to their employment. The symptoms may become compounded later in life with the onset of menopause.

How can our specialist childbirth medical negligence solicitors help?

Women suffering bowel incontinence after childbirth may wish to discuss their case with a solicitor with the right expertise and understanding. You need someone with experience in providing support and advice about this condition.

The team at Clarke Willmott are specialist birth injury medical negligence solicitors with an interest in women’s health. We have extensive experience in all types of obstetrics and gynaecology cases including perineal tears. We regularly handle cases for women left with bowel incontinence after childbirth including those requiring catheters, stomas and repair surgery. We take pride in sensitively guiding clients through the legal process as they rebuild their lives. We know you want answers as to what went wrong. We know you need compassionate advice.

Making a compensation claim

We understand how traumatic your injuries may have been. We will listen and give you more detail about what a clinical negligence claim would involve, and advise you on the likely outcomes if you proceed.

We will also discuss our funding options with you which will either by insurance and/or a ‘no win, no fee’ agreement (conditional fee agreement).

Our investigations

We will undertake an investigation outside of the court process on your behalf. This involves obtaining and reviewing medical records with you, including gaining access to any internal investigations that may have taken place at the NHS Trust responsible for your care. We will take a witness statement from you.

We then work with leading experts in fields such as:

• Obstetrics
• Midwifery
• Uro-gynaecology
• Psychiatry
• Bowel or colorectal surgery etc.

We instruct these experts in order obtain an independent opinion on your case. One of the main advantages of doing this is to gain answers. We are aware that this is often the goal for women who come to us for help.

Compensation for bowel incontinence

Ultimately, if your case is successful you will be awarded financial compensation. Claims vary in value depending on the consequences for you as an individual. We will look at what the impact has been on your employment, care and assistance needs, and whether you would benefit from funding any future treatment, therapies or rehabilitation.

We may also instruct independent experts in these fields, such as Occupational Therapists, in order to ensure all your needs are considered.

Read our FAQs about making a medical negligence claim.

Speak to a specialist medical negligence solicitor now

If you think you may have a compensation claim for bowel incontinence following childbirth the first step is to get in touch for a no obligation chat with a sympathetic solicitor. Call 0800 316 8892 now or contact us online to arrange a call back.

All new enquiries are dealt with directly by our legal team (not by call centres) so you will be speaking to someone with the right expertise from the start.

As well as our work with MASIC, we are also accredited to provide expert medical negligence advice by the following prestigious organisations:

• Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA)
• The Law Society
• APIL