Birth injuries are a common feature of medical negligence cases, but these usually focus on injuries to the newborn. Injuries to the mother during childbirth are also common, but are often dismissed as being a natural consequence of the birth process.
This is not always the case. Birth injuries can have long-term and life-changing effects on the mother, and, in many situations, could have been avoided if they are the result of negligence or bad practice. In those situations the mother is entitled to seek redress to help ease the pain and suffering that they are now experiencing.
Common birth injuries to mothers can include:
- Vaginal tears;
- Fissures;
- Poor or incorrect stitching;
- Poor control of infections or pre-eclampsia;
- Uterine ruptures and abnormal bleeding.
Why should I seek legal advice in relation to birth injury?
Under normal medical conditions a mother should not expect any of these injuries to occur, and so seeking expert legal advice is the next step. Our clinical negligence department at Ison Harrison can help you make a claim for damages, which may be simply to help you get back on your feet and continue a normal life, or to fund ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.
Of course physical injuries are very easy to see and show evidence of; there is a clear sign that something has gone wrong. As with any medical negligence case it is very important to gather evidence of the injury and explain, as well as you can, exactly how it occurred, in order to prove that a level of negligence took place that directly resulted in your injury.
We are here to help you with that and make a traumatic process a lot less stressful, but it is important that you do this very quickly, as evidence of your injuries may not be so clear even after a few days.
Physical and mental birth injuries
Mental birth injuries are also common in new mothers, even if the birth wasn’t particularly difficult. Post-traumatic stress disorder is common where a birth was very difficult or an injury has occurred. In some cases, ongoing therapy is required and in extreme situations the mother is not even able to care for her new baby.
Naturally, mental injuries are a little more difficult to show and can become complex cases. However, if there is clear evidence of medical negligence that has resulted in a physical injury, it makes it much easier to demonstrate that this has also directly led to mental discomfort and ongoing treatment.
How our clinical negligence department can help you
Once we have had your injuries assessed we can help establish a programme of rehabilitation for you. This could involve therapy, support groups, medication or physical treatment. At the same time we can build a claim for damages to ensure you are adequately supported financially and suitably rewarded for the pain and discomfort you have suffered.
We fully understand that many women are reluctant to come forward and discuss something that causes them great stress, or that may require an intimate examination. But it is very important that women understand that they do not have to accept what has happened, and that there is a legal framework in place to help them.
At Ison Harrison we have experienced and sympathetic legal experts who you can rely on to treat your case with discretion, patience and understanding. For a confidential chat, speak to our clinical negligence team today.
