Midwife Negligence Compensation Claims

Midwives give care and support to women and their families during pregnancy, labour, and the postpartum period.

They are likely to be a pregnant woman's primary health care provider and point of contact, offering evidence-based information and assisting her in making educated decisions about the options and services available during her pregnancy.

With the vital role that midwives play in a pregnant woman’s journey comes a large amount of responsibility.

Any time your midwife's actions or inactions during pregnancy, labour, or post-birth cause unnecessary harm or distress to mother and baby, you may have grounds to file a claim for midwife negligence compensation.

At SDS Solicitors, our expert team of medical negligence solicitors have a wealth of first-hand experience consulting with, advising, defending, and campaigning for our clients, many of whom have been harmed by midwife negligence and have successfully sought compensation.

What is midwife negligence?

During your pregnancy and the birth of your child, all midwives owe you and your child a duty of care. 

Unfortunately, midwives can sometimes make mistakes that have serious ramifications for both you and your child.

While the vast majority of births go off without a hitch, birth carelessness can cause serious injury to both new-borns and mothers.

Accidents can happen during any medical procedure or treatment. But when harm that could have been avoided (if healthcare professionals, including midwives, followed the proper medical procedures) is caused to a patient, then this is considered negligent. 

If you or your child has been injured as a result of receiving negligent care, then you may be entitled to compensation. 

No amount of money can rectify or take away from the pain that midwife negligence brings to those involved. But with the right solicitor on your side, you can get the financial compensation that will relieve some of the financial burden that midwife negligence can cause, allowing you to focus on your family and the future. 

To find out whether you could have a claim and how much you could be entitled to, seeking legal advice from an expert solicitor with experience in midwife negligence claims is essential.

How we can help

Our medical negligence, accident, and personal injury legal office has been dedicated to assisting our clients in achieving the best possible results.

We’ll work closely with you to build the strongest possible case, ensuring all of the right evidence is presented, and all of the damages you have suffered are acknowledged.

At SDS Solicitors, our expert team has over 25 years of first-hand experience representing our client in birth injury medical negligence claims, many of whom have been harmed by midwife negligence and have successfully sought compensation.

We work with people from all over England and Wales to evaluate whether they have a claim and to guide them through the procedure, always striving for the best care and maximum settlement values.

Call us free at the number at the top of this page to find out how we can help you or fill out our contact form and one of our professional staff members will get back to you.

What does it mean when a midwife is negligent?

Because of the nature of a midwife's job, even minor errors can have catastrophic effects on both the mother and baby.

When a midwife makes a mistake that causes injury or illness to you or your child, this is known as midwife negligence. 

Unfortunately, midwife negligence can happen at any time during the pregnancy, during the birth, or after the baby is born.

Any event in which your midwife's actions or inactions cause you or your child undue pain or discomfort during pregnancy, labour, or after birth may be grounds for a claim for midwife negligence compensation.

The following are some of the most typical and dangerous scenarios in which this occurs:

Unnecessary damage caused to the mother
 

While there have been many medical advancements in modern times to promote healthy births, childbirth is still a very serious and complicated medical procedure. Because of this, pregnancy and childbirth can cause a number of health conditions that may affect the mother. 

However, when the mother experiences harm that could have been avoided had their midwife / midwives acted appropriately (in accordance with proper medical procedure) then this can be considered negligent. 

Midwife negligence can result in short to long term damage to the mother, such as:

• Incontinence
• Infections
• Stroke
• Emotional trauma
• Perineal lacerations and 3/4th degree tears
• Postpartum haemorrhage
• Uterine rupture

It is the responsibility of the midwife to care for both the mother and baby. 

When midwives have a responsibility to monitor a pregnant woman's symptoms throughout her pregnancy and birth, midwives should also listen to the mother through this process. 

When you present your midwife with symptoms or irregularities that are suggestive of a potential pregnancy concern, but no suitable tests or examinations are performed to examine further, leading to an underlying condition developing after going unchecked, then this inaction on the part of the midwife can also be considered negligent.

If you have experienced harm due to the incorrect (or lack of) actions on the part of the midwife, then you could have a claim. 

To find out whether you could have a claim and what you might be entitled to, get in touch with one of our experts today.

Failure to detect health conditions during pregnancy
 

Sadly, there are many ways that midwife negligence can occur during pregnancy, including:

• Following a diagnosis of pregnancy problems, suitable action is not done or the proper course of therapy is not delivered.
• When your midwife ignores pre-existing problems or a family history of specific illnesses that could affect your pregnancy.
• When the findings of numerous health tests are not properly analysed, recorded, or reported, it might lead to a misdiagnosis or a delay in the detection of pregnancy issues.
• When major illnesses (such as jaundice) in the mother or the foetus are not detected or treated effectively, problems might emerge during the pregnancy.

What conditions can a baby develop as a result of a midwife's negligence?

Medical malpractice during childbirth might result in babies suffering from:

Cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy affects about one in every 400 new-borns born in the United Kingdom. The most common cause of the illness is oxygen deprivation during birth. 

Cerebral palsy can also be caused by midwives failing to act on abnormalities with the baby's heart rate or the mother's vital signs during labour.

Erb's palsy

Erb's palsy occurs when the baby's anterior shoulder becomes trapped above the mother's pubic bone after delivery of the head (shoulder dystocia). 

Failure to recognise this might cause nerves in the baby's neck to stretch or tear during birth, resulting in paralysis or loss of muscle control in the arm, hand, or wrist.

Head trauma 

Trauma to the baby's head during delivery can result in impairments such as loss of mobility, speech, and other abilities.

Stillbirth 

In particularly severe cases, midwife negligence can be fatal, resulting in stillbirths. 

While these instances are rare, they are incredibly traumatic and absolutely unacceptable.

If your midwife breaches her duty of care during your pregnancy, delivery, or after birth, resulting in your child developing conditions such as those listed above, you may be eligible to file a claim for midwife negligence.

Give us a call at the number at the top of this page and one of our midwife negligence experts will discuss your next steps with you. 

Do I have a claim?

Remember that the above is not an exhaustive list; there may be more medical situations in which you have grounds to sue for midwife negligence. 

If you are unsure if your situation qualifies you for compensation, you should obtain legal counsel from a professional as soon as possible.

At SDS, we know how traumatising and isolating midwife negligence can be. After all, midwives should help to guide pregnant women through their pregnancy, not have an adverse effect on those involved. 

That's why we advocate for our clients and work to get the best possible results for victims of midwife negligence. 

While nothing can take away from the pain that you have experienced, a successful claim can go a long way towards relieving some of the financial burden so that you can focus on the important things. 

What are my next steps? 

Unfortunately, the long-term consequences of midwife carelessness are often life-altering, and there are countless ways in which midwife negligence can occur.

Even slight injuries caused by midwife neglect during childbirth might cause the mother, child and family long-term trauma. 

Meanwhile, serious injuries may necessitate continuing to receive further help and medicine, perhaps even for the remainder of the child's life. 

It is essential that you obtain legal counsel from a professional who has handled cases similar to yours. This will help you to understand whether you could have a claim, how much you might be entitled to, and what your next steps should be.

While the aftermath of midwife negligence can be incredibly difficult, you are not alone.

At SDS Solicitors, our skilled team have a wealth of experience aiding victims of medical malpractice in collecting the compensation they are entitled to.

No amount of money could ever make what you have experienced "right". 

But when you choose the right solicitor with the right experience handling similar cases, you can make a claim that takes into account not only the financial hardship that midwife negligence can cause, but also the emotional and physical toll that it can take.

To gain expert advice regarding whether you could have a claim and how much you might be entitled to, get in touch with us today and discover what your next steps could be.

​Contact our team

We are based in Manchester and work closely with the community around the area, including handling birth injury claims from Bolton, Oldham, Rochdale, Prestwich, Bury and Radcliffe.

However, our medical negligence solicitors represent clients from anywhere in England and Wales, with no obligation to proceed beyond your free initial claim assessment. 

To discuss your circumstances and find out whether you have grounds to make a Midwife Negligence Compensation Claim, please get in touch today and we will be happy to help.