The bladder and bowel are vulnerable parts of the body, and medical professionals must take care when performing surgery, inserting medical devices or prescribing medication to minimise the risk of injury. Bladder and bowel damage can have serious, long-term consequences for a patient’s health and quality of life.

Switalskis’ expert medical negligence solicitors know how difficult it can be to deal with a bowel or bladder injury in the aftermath of surgery, or because a medical professional made a mistake. Our team has pursued many bowel and bladder injury compensation claims on behalf of people like you.

Medical negligence can potentially lead to bladder or bowel damage and is a particular risk in certain surgical procedures. Surgeons must be very careful when working on these organs, as the consequences of an injury can be severe. The most common scenarios that result in bowel and bladder damage include:

• Injury during surgery: the bladder could be cut or punctured and the bowel is at risk of being nicked, cut or perforated during a variety of gynaecological, bowel or urological operations. Examples may be a hysterectomy, a caesarean section or removal of the appendix (appendectomy) along with many others.
• Catheters: improper placement or maintenance of a urinary catheter can result in infections or damage to the bladder.
• Anastomosis: in surgeries that involve joining sections of the bowel, an improperly performed anastomosis can leak, leading to severe infection.
• Failure to diagnose: in the bowel, conditions like Crohn’s disease or bowel cancer may not be diagnosed in a timely manner, resulting in worsening of the condition. There is a similar risk of bladder infections or tumours going unnoticed and causing further damage as a result.
• Medication errors: certain medications can harm the bladder if used incorrectly. An overdose or inappropriate medication can potentially cause bladder damage. If a doctor failed to provide suitable aftercare when prescribing a medication like this, you may be eligible for bladder damage compensation.
• Endoscopy procedures: incorrectly performed colonoscopies or endoscopies can cause perforations in the bowel.

Damage to the bowel can often lead to a patient having to have a stoma. This could be a colostomy or ileostomy. A patient may have a urostomy as a result of damage to the bladder. Having a stoma can lead to a raft of other problems such as bags bursting and leaking and ongoing incontinence. We have dealt with all of these issues before and are here to listen to any of your symptoms with care and kindness.

If you’re unsure about your eligibility to make a bowel or bladder damage claim, get in touch with the team at Switalskis. We’ll chat in confidence about your situation and let you know whether we think you have a claim.

If you suffered damage to your bowels or bladder due to a surgeon’s error, you have the right to claim compensation. At Switalskis, we don’t think you should be held back by your financial circumstances, and we offer several different approaches to funding a case that allow anyone to claim, with minimal financial risk.

• No win, no fee agreement: also known as a conditional fee agreement (CFA), this is the most common way to fund a bowel or bladder damage claim. Under a no win, no fee agreement, you won’t need to pay anything if your claim is unsuccessful. Our costs are written off. If you win your case, our base costs will be met by the defendant. The success fee will be payable from your compensation. This option allows you to pursue your claim without any financial risk, and we’ll discuss all of the potential costs with you upfront to avoid any surprises.
• Legal expenses insurance: we will begin an insurance policy to cover you for the out-of-pocket costs we experience during the investigation. We have our own insurance provider that we use. However, you may have legal expenses cover as part of your home or car insurance policy, which can also be used to fund your claim. We’ll assist you in understanding your policy and liaising with your insurer.
• Legal Aid: in very rare cases, Legal Aid may be available for clinical negligence claims, although it’s usually reserved for specific situations. Our team can guide you on whether you might be eligible.

These options will only apply in certain cases, so if you’re unsure, it’s best to speak to our team. Contact us to discuss your circumstances and we’ll let you know about the options that are available to you, so you can make an informed decision about funding your case.