Birth Injuries

For many people, pregnancy and giving birth is one of the happiest times of their lives and it's estimated that there are 700,000 successful births in the UK every year.

Thankfully, the vast majority of pregnancies and births happen without any problems at all; however, when something does go wrong it can be very serious. Accidents, incompetency and medical negligence does happen and when they do, the effects can be traumatic for everybody involved, particularly close family. Around seven out of every 1000 babies born will suffer an injury during the birth process.

Complications with delivery, medical inefficiencies, staffing issues or NHS funding problems can threaten the safety of mother and baby before, during and after the birth. Birth accidents can affect either the baby or the mother and often have serious implications for the health of both.

The birth of a new baby is a very special time for the whole family and especially the parents of the baby so if things go wrong during the pregnancy or the birth, the effects can be devastating.  If mother or baby is harmed due to medical negligence or clinical negligence, a claim for personal injury compensation may be possible.

When we say "birth injuries" we mean any injury suffered by mother or baby:

Injuries to the mother can include avoidable vaginal tears, improper use of forceps, fissures, incorrect suturing following an episiotomy and infections.

Injuries to the baby can include cerebral palsy, facial palsy, brachial plexus injury, umbilical cord complications, ruptured placenta, skin irritations, arm fractures, brain damage, eye infections and injuries, hypoglycaemia and spinal cord injuries.

In the UK, medical malpractice and the issue of liability comes under the category of 'professional negligence' and an attending doctor will be deemed liable unless they are shown to have acted in accordance with a body of medical opinion on the subject of births and delivery.

The medical profession has a 'duty of care' towards their patients. This means that they are responsible for carrying out procedures with due diligence and in the proper manner. If they fail to do so and their patient suffers as a result, a medical negligence claim may be made against the staff member(s) involved.