A mother-of-three has settled her birth injury claim after a hospital failed to spot and treat serious injuries she suffered during the birth of her first child.
Timeline of events
In summer 2018, Elizabeth gave birth with the help of instruments. She had a bad tear during the delivery, but the defendant hospital didn’t realise how serious it was and didn’t fix it properly.
Soon after, she started having problems, such as passing gas and brown discharge through her vagina, getting frequent infections and losing control of her bowels. These symptoms made her feel embarrassed, anxious and uncomfortable.
Later, doctors found she had a fistula and damage to a muscle that helps control bowel movements. These injuries should have been treated straight after the birth. If they had been, she likely would have recovered fully.
Elizabeth had two surgeries in 2022 to try to fix the problem. After the second surgery, she had to get a stoma. This helped a bit but had a detrimental impact on her life. She felt self-conscious and found it hard to be active. Her job, home life and relationship all suffered.
She had two more children, both by caesarean. Not being able to give birth naturally again was upsetting for her and she also needed more help during recovery. Elizabeth missed work and a chance at a promotion as a result. She will need more surgery to try to fix the injuries and maybe remove the stoma.
How we helped Elizabeth’s birth injury negligence case
Elizabeth came to us for support. We wrote to the hospital with details of her case. The hospital admitted they made mistakes and agreed that if they had treated her injuries properly at the time, she wouldn’t have these long-term problems. In June 2024, the case was settled out of court. Elizabeth received compensation to help with her future care and the impact on her life.
A note from Melanie Minter
“Elizabeth’s case shows how important it is for birth injuries to be spotted and treated straight away. She went through years of pain, embarrassment and life changes that could have been avoided. It affected her job, her confidence and her family life.
“While the settlement can’t undo the past, it gives Elizabeth some peace of mind and support for the future. We hope it also helps raise awareness of how serious birth injuries can be if not properly treated.”
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