Childbirth Anaesthesia Error Claim Solicitors.

Anaesthesiologists must undergo extensive training before being allowed to practice; however, mistakes can occasionally still happen.

There are several ways in which things may go awry during the administration of local or general anaesthetic, including:

• Medication preparation: The anaesthesiologist may use the wrong type of needle, the wrong type of medication, or the wrong dosage, all of which can be harmful to patients.
• Medication administration: When administering a spinal block or epidural, the anaesthesiologist must insert the needle between the L3 and L4 vertebrae, penetrating the spinal column, without puncturing the spinal sac. If the needle is not inserted in the correct place, it can have serious repercussions for the patient.

If you or your baby have experienced an injury or any medical problems after receiving anaesthesia during childbirth, our team of medical negligence solicitors can help you to claim the compensation that you may be entitled to.

As with all medical procedures, the administration of general anaesthetic during childbirth can carry some risks to both the mother and baby, especially when an anaesthesiologist is negligent in their duties. These risks can range from minor inconveniences, to life-altering injuries and conditions.

For the mother, these risks can include:

• Aspiration – which is when stomach acids and other fluids enter the lungs, potentially causing pneumonia
• Damage to the windpipe when inserting the endotracheal tube
• Toxic reaction to the anaesthetic medications
• Anaesthesia awareness – which is when a patient regains consciousness during the procedure, potentially causing PTSD-like symptoms
• Feverishness, nausea, and/or vomiting
• Prolonged labour
• Septic meningitis
• Seizures
• Paralysis
• Nerve damage
• Breathing difficulties
• Backache and spinal problems
• Bladder or bowel incontinence
• Cardiac arrest

And in some cases, negligent administration of anaesthesia can be fatal.

When the mother suffers from anaesthesia problems, the baby may experience decreased blood flow, and oxygen deprivation, leading to problems such as:

• Fetal lethargy
• Fetal distress
• Respiratory problems
• Brain injury
• Cerebral palsy
• Abnormal heart rate
• Poor sucking reflex, leading to feeding problems
• Jaundice
• Drug toxicity
• Poor muscle tone
• Death

The anaesthesiologist is responsible for determining the correct dosage of medication to provide pain relief and/or loss of consciousness during childbirth, whilst ensuring the safety of you and your baby. If the anaesthesiologist has been negligent in their care of you and your child, you may have a case for claiming childbirth anaesthesia compensation.

Please get in touch with us and our team of highly qualified and experienced clinical negligence lawyers will be happy to assist you in any way we can.

The amount of compensation you may be entitled to will vary depending on a number of different factors. Your case will be assessed by our clinical negligence solicitors so that we can provide you with the best advice with regards to the potential compensation amount.

When assessing your case, we will take into account a number of things, including:

• What injuries or complications occurred due to the anaesthetic error
• How severe your injuries and complications are
• How much treatment you have already had to undergo
• The potential for further treatment in the future
• The psychological effects of the incident
• Any loss of earnings you have already incurred
• Any potential future loss of earnings
• Any expenses incurred for treatment already received
• Any future expenses for ongoing treatment

In order to help us put together your anaesthesia compensation claim we will require as much information as possible. We will discuss everything with you thoroughly, and you will be asked to provide any supporting evidence that you may have, such as medical records or photographs of your injuries where applicable. Once we have all of the information we need, we can accurately estimate how much compensation you are likely to be awarded in court.

Errors involving anaesthesia during childbirth fall into the category of clinical negligence, and within this area of law, claimants have three years from the date the suspected negligence occurred, or three years from the date that you first found out about the error, in order to make your claim for compensation.

If you feel that you may have a case for suing the hospital that treated you during childbirth, please contact our team as soon as possible so that we can get started on your case without hesitation.

Whether your childbirth experience took place in an NHS hospital or a private practice, the first step in making a claim for childbirth anaesthesia clinical negligence is to contact a solicitor who specialises in medical negligence cases. It’s always advisable to seek legal advice as early as possible once you suspect that clinical negligence has played a part in your injuries, in order to begin your claim within the legal time limit.

It can help to speed up your case if you are able to gather as much supporting evidence as possible. Once we have received your evidence and supporting documents, we can begin to put your case together, ensuring that we are as thorough as possible, before seeking to either settle your claim or present it to a judge in court,

If you are unsure about how or when to begin your compensation claim, or your entitlement to make a claim, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at Lanyon Bowdler. Our medical negligence solicitors have the knowledge, experience, and expertise to offer advice and handle your claim with the dignity and compassion you deserve.