Perforated Bowel Claim

Life can have challenging and unexpected turns, especially when you and your family are faced with medical emergencies and subsequent legal action. A perforated bowel claim is no exception. Medical events like bowel perforations can not only jeopardise your health but also have long-lasting consequences that impact your quality of life and the financial well-being of your family.

A perforated bowel can often occur due to medical negligence and, to help you deal with the long-term consequences, financial compensation can be crucial. Compensation is not just about money it’s about regaining control and being able to cope psychologically with the immense financial burdens that come with significant ongoing medical care and lifelong conditions.

Free Initial Discussion

For no-obligation advice and information, call our specialist medical negligence solicitors today on 01642 843 671 or use our contact form and we will call you back.

What is a Perforated Bowel?

A perforated bowel should always be considered to be serious because of how quickly it can progress and cause other health emergencies. It occurs when a hole or tear develops in the wall of the intestines, causing the contents of your digestive system to make their way into the abdominal cavity.

A bowel perforation should always be seen as a medical emergency and treated immediately. Failing to properly treat a bowel perforation can be life-threatening and lead to serious infections and other dangerous complications.

How Is a Bowel Perforation Diagnosed?

You can expect healthcare professionals to use a number of methods to confirm a diagnosis. These should be done promptly if a perforation is suspected.

• Physical Assessment: Most healthcare professionals will begin by conducting a physical examination to identify any signs of perforation or any symptoms associated with abdominal injuries. These can include abdominal pain, tenderness, rigidity, fever, nausea, vomiting, and a rapid heartbeat.
• Imaging: Medical imaging can also play a key role in identifying and rectifying a bowel perforation. X-rays and CT scans are common if a perforation is suspected.
• Blood Tests: Blood tests may also be used to check for signs of infection or other abnormalities that are typical for this condition. They might also signify how urgent it is to perform surgery to repair the tear.
• Exploratory Surgery: In some cases, emergency surgery may be performed as both a diagnostic and treatment measure. During surgery, the surgeon can directly visualise and repair the perforation.

• Examining Medical History: Many bowel perforations are the consequence of another medical procedure. Discussing recent medical history can offer context for your doctor to quickly understand the full picture of how and where a tear might have occurred.

What Causes a Bowel Perforation?

When looking into bowel perforation compensation, it’s important to understand the cause of the condition to better understand what you might be entitled to.

Of course, blunt abdominal trauma can cause bowel penetration, but there are alternative reasons for tears or holes in the abdominal wall.

Bowel perforations can occur during medical procedures, such as surgery, colonoscopy, or endoscopy. If this happens it is often due to surgical error.

Some conditions can weaken the bowel wall and make bowel perforations more likely. Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis are common examples.

Severe infections in the bowel or digestive area, such as diverticulitis or appendicitis, can also cause a perforation.

Compensation For A Perforated Bowel

If you or a loved one has experienced a perforated bowel, you may be entitled to compensation.

Any compensation can help to cover medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other out of pocket expenses resulting from the injury. This can provide vital financial support to you and your family.

Is A Perforated Bowel Medical Negligence?

A bowel perforation may be the result of medical or surgical negligence.

This is the case if a healthcare provider fails to meet expected medical standards during a procedure, surgery, or treatment, and this failure leads to a perforation.

Can You Sue A Hospital For A Perforated Bowel?

Yes, you can sue a hospital or healthcare provider for a perforated bowel if you believe that the injury was caused by their negligence.

You will need to prove that the healthcare provider’s actions or lack of action fell below the accepted standard of care and that this resulted in the bowel perforation.

Contact us

For more information about making a claim, you can call us on 01642 843 667; alternatively, complete our online contact form and one of our solicitors will be in touch.