Pregnancy and Gynaecology Solicitors

Yes, failed sterilisation claims arise when sterilisation procedures fail to prevent pregnancy. Both female sterilisation and vasectomy carry a recognised failure rate even when properly performed. Negligent failures occur when surgeons used poor technique, didn’t warn about failure risks, or didn’t advise about post-vasectomy sperm tests.

Claims cover pregnancy and birth costs and limited childcare costs, though courts won’t award full cost of raising healthy children. If you were inadequately warned about failure risks, you can claim even if the procedure was properly performed. Consent claims focus on whether warnings about failure risks were adequate.

Ectopic pregnancy occurs when embryos implant outside the uterus, usually in fallopian tubes. They can’t develop normally and cause tube rupture, internal bleeding, and potentially life-threatening emergencies. Symptoms include abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, and shoulder tip pain.

GPs and A&E departments should consider ectopic pregnancy in women of reproductive age with abdominal pain and bleeding. Missed diagnosis allows progression to rupture requiring emergency surgery and often losing affected fallopian tubes, reducing future fertility. A claim may be possible where symptoms were not acted on or urgent scans were not arranged.

Yes, gynaecological surgery negligence includes bladder or bowel damage during hysterectomy or other pelvic surgery, nerve damage, unnecessary surgery, or complications from poor technique. All surgery carries risks, but some complications result from negligent technique or inadequate skill.

Claims require expert gynaecology evidence establishing whether complications resulted from unacceptable technique or were recognised risks. Bladder or ureter damage during hysterectomy isn’t automatically negligent, but failure to recognise and repair damage promptly is. Unnecessary hysterectomies performed without adequate consent may also be negligent.

Miscarriage management negligence includes delayed diagnosis of incomplete miscarriage, inadequate treatment causing infection, poor communication causing distress, or failing to offer appropriate management options. Women should be offered medical management, surgical management, or expectant management (waiting to see if the miscarriage completes naturally), depending on their circumstances and preferences.

Negligent care includes discharging women with retained products causing infection, not investigating recurrent miscarriages appropriately, or insensitive communication. Compensation reflects physical injuries, infection treatment, emotional distress, and impact on future pregnancies. These claims are often more about poor care quality than physical injuries.

Fertility treatment claims arise from IVF procedure errors, embryo or egg storage failures, mix-ups, or inadequate consent. Examples include using wrong sperm, losing embryos, storage tank failures destroying frozen embryos, or implanting embryos in wrong patients.

These claims involve devastating losses of irreplaceable embryos, eggs, or sperm. Compensation reflects emotional distress, wasted treatment costs, need for further treatment cycles, and reduced pregnancy chances. Some involve loss of last chance to have biological children. Claims require detailed expert evidence about standard protocols and what went wrong.

Compensation depends on injury severity. Failed sterilisation claims cover pregnancy and birth costs plus limited childcare costs for unplanned children. Ectopic pregnancy claims cover pain and suffering, surgery, and fertility loss if fallopian tubes were removed. Gynaecological surgery error claims cover injuries, corrective surgery, and long-term complications.

Miscarriage mismanagement claims reflect infection treatment, emotional distress, and impact on future pregnancies. Fertility treatment failure claims cover emotional distress, wasted costs, and reduced future pregnancy chances. All claims include general damages for pain and suffering plus specific losses including treatment costs and earnings losses.

Pregnancy and gynaecology negligence claims must be brought within three years of the negligent treatment or three years from when you realised treatment was negligent. For failed sterilisation, time may run from when pregnancy was discovered, not the sterilisation date.

For children born following negligent treatment, they have until their 21st birthday to bring claims in their own right. We recommend seeking advice as soon as you suspect negligent care rather than waiting until limitation approaches, as investigating reproductive health claims requires detailed medical evidence.