If a Bristol maternity hospital failed to diagnose and treat your severe perineal tear, you could be eligible to pursue a claim for compensation. Please contact us for more information. We are a team of clinical negligence lawyers located in between Bristol and Bath.
Suing Bristol hospital
Hospitals in England and Wales must meet certain standards to ensure the patient receives an acceptable level of care. One such standard is diagnosing and repairing a perineal injury after a vaginal birth.
Therefore whichever hospital you gave birth in, it follows that your tear should have been detected and treated shortly afterwards.
This should be achieved by conducting a thorough examination of the perineum and rectum after the delivery. The clinician should be competent enough to recognise a tear and accurately classify the extent of the injury. If there is any doubt, the clinician should seek the opinion of a more senior member of staff.
If this standard is not met and a severe perineal tear goes undiagnosed and untreated, there will be a breach of duty on the part of the medical practitioners. Consequently the patient will be entitled to sue the hospital in question, making a claim for compensation.
How to sue a hospital
If you are looking to sue a hospital, your first step must be to contact a solicitor who specialises in medical negligence (also called clinical negligence in the UK). Ideally you should find a firm who has experience in perineal tear claims. This will guarantee that you get a legal team with the knowledge and expertise necessary to succeed in such cases.
A solicitor will ask you about the details of your care and your injuries. After considering your case, the solicitor will offer you expert legal advice, suggesting what options are open to you.
You may be told that there had not been a case of negligence. You may be told that there are potentially grounds for a claim but further investigation is required (you may be referred on to another firm at this point). Or you may be told that there is a case of medical negligence and the firm would like to pursue a claim on your behalf, should you wish to proceed.
If you do want to continue with a claim, you will be appointed a solicitor who will manage the case for you.
Contact us today
We specialise in perineal tear claims, particularly third degree claims and fourth degree claims. To find out if you are entitled to compensation, get in touch with our legal experts today.
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Call us now on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile click to call 01275 334030) or complete our Free Online Enquiry.