How To Claim For Retained Placenta Negligence

This is a guide to making a retained placenta negligence claim. You may be wondering whether you could be eligible to claim following a breach of duty of care by a medical professional. 

Our guide will explain the eligibility criteria to make such a claim before going into detail about what you could collect as proof to support your case. We’ll also look at what a medical professional’s duty of care is and how this can be breached.

retained placenta negligence

Retained placenta negligence claims guide

We will then explain how compensation is assessed in a claim, before providing you with information about how you could get in touch with a No Win No Fee solicitor to help you. 

You can also speak to a member of our advice team directly at any time, for any information you need. You can contact them by: 

Jump To A Section  

  1. When Could You Be Eligible To Claim For Retained Placenta Negligence? 
  2. Evidence That Could Be Needed To Claim For Retained Placenta Negligence 
  3. How Could You Suffer From Retained Placenta Negligence? 
  4. How Much Compensation For A Retained Placenta? 
  5. Make A Medical Negligence Claim Using Our Panel Of No Win No Fee Solicitors 
  6. Learn More About Medical Negligence Payouts 

When Could You Be Eligible To Claim For Retained Placenta Negligence?

A placenta is an organ that will develop in your uterus during pregnancy to provide vital nutrients to your child. It usually leaves the body as part of the birthing process. If the whole placenta or part of the placenta or membranes stays in the womb, this is known as a retained placenta. If it’s not addressed, then it can cause infection and fatal bleeding.

When you receive care from a medical professional, you’re automatically owed a duty of care. They can be found to have been in breach of this duty if they provided you with substandard care. If you suffered from avoidable physical, financial or mental harm due to this, then you may be eligible to make a medical negligence claim. 

Our advisers could be able to provide you with a free evaluation of your retained placenta negligence claim. They could give you free legal advice on what you may need to do, and even potentially connect you with a solicitor if you are looking for legal assistance on a No Win No Fee basis. 

How Could You Suffer From Retained Placenta Negligence? 

Below, we have included some examples of how you could experience a retained placenta:

  • You’re given medication to help you pass the placenta, but because you’re given the wrong medication this doesn’t happen and you get an infection.
  • There was a misdiagnosis of your initial condition because a nurse mistakenly noted that your placenta was passed.
  • You’re discharged from the hospital despite the placenta not having been passed because your records were mixed up with those of another patient.

A member of our advice team could provide you with a free assessment of whether medical negligence has occurred and the steps you should take in order to claim.

How Much Compensation For A Retained Placenta?

There are no set compensation figures in medical negligence claims. Your settlement will be based on the individual circumstances of your claim.

Medical negligence settlements could be made up of two heads of claim. The first of these, general damages, compensates you for the pain and suffering that retained placenta negligence could cause you.

A document called the Judicial College Guidelines can be used to help value your claim. We have included a few entries from this document in the table below. These figures should only be used as guidance, not as guarantees of what you will receive.

InjurySeverityAward
Female Reproductive SystemInfertility caused by an illness that may cause extreme pain to the claimant£114,900 to
£170,280
Female Reproductive SystemInfertility without medical complications. A higher award will take into account the psychological harm this may cause£17,960 to
£36,740
Bladder (a)A complete loss of urinary and bladder function grouped with other medical complicationsUp to
£184,200
Bladder (b)A total loss of function and controlUp to
£140,660
Bladder (c)Loss of control and pain£63,980 to
£79,930
Bladder (d)Some long-term impact on function but a near-complete recovery. £23,410 to
£31,310

Special Damages In Birth Injury Claims

The second head of claim that you could seek is special damages. This is compensation for the financial losses you’ve suffered due to the act of negligence. 

Some examples of the losses and costs you could seek compensation for include: 

  • Lost earnings
  • Money you have spent on your care
  • The cost of childcare if you have had to pay for this because of your health

Our advisers can provide you with a free compensation estimate and advice you on the different losses you could be reimbursed for. 

Evidence That Could Be Needed To Claim For Retained Placenta Negligence

You may need both evidence that shows how negligence occurred in your care, and how this negligence unnecessarily affected you. You could present this in several forms, including: 

  • Medical records of your treatment
  • Records that could show the financial impact that the negligence has had on you 
  • A diary of your symptoms to show how you have been impacted

The Bolam Test might also be used to determine whether negligence was a contributing factor in the harm you experienced. This is where a panel of medical professionals are asked whether the care provided was of the right level.

A free consultation with a member of our advice team could give you insight into the evidence that could help you specifically if you choose to make a claim. You can reach out to one of our advisers now through live chat or over the phone. 

Is There A Medical Negligence Time Limit To Make A Claim?

Under the Limitation Act 1980, you should begin your claim within a certain time limit. This is generally three years.

These three years can either run from the date of the incident or the date that you became aware that you were avoidably harmed by negligence, otherwise known as the date of knowledge.

Exceptions can apply to this time limit if the injured person is under the age of 18 or lacks the mental capacity to claim. In these cases, the time limit is suspended and a litigation friend could claim on their behalf.

There can be exceptions that apply to this time limit. If you would like to know whether these exceptions apply to your circumstances, speak with a member of our team today.

Make A Medical Negligence Claim Using Our Panel Of No Win No Fee Solicitors

As we’ve said, a member of our team could be able to provide you with free advice and an evaluation of your case. If they agree that you have a valid claim, they could connect you with a medical negligence solicitor. 

An experienced solicitor’s help can be beneficial, and working with a No Win No Fee solicitor would mean that: 

  • You would hire their services without paying an upfront fee 
  • You would not be required to make any ongoing payments for their work 
  • They would not charge you a fee for their work if your claim was unsuccessful 

These are terms that can be offered under a Conditional Fee Agreement, which is a type of No Win No Fee agreement. The only fee typically charged in such an agreement is a success fee which is deducted from your compensation award and legally capped. 

You can reach out to one of our advisers for a free assessment or for any more enquiries about how to start a claim for retained placenta negligence by: 

Learn More About Medical Negligence Payouts

Thank you for reading our guide to retained placenta negligence.

Additional guides we offer include: 

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Article by Mar

Edited by Sto