Claiming Compensation for Symphysiotomy Operations in Ireland
Between 1944 and 1992 it is estimated that more than a fifteen hundred women unnecessarily underwent symphysiotomy operations in a number of Irish hospitals. Most of these women had no knowledge that these procedures were carried out until many years later, as they were performed without consent and often while the patient was under the influence of anaesthetic. However claiming compensation for symphysiotomy operations in Ireland is currently impossible for the majority of those who survive due to being time-barred by the Statute of Limitations.
The Statute of Limitations limits the period of time in which claims for symphysiotomy medical negligence claims can be made to two years from the “date of knowledge” that an injury has occurred. For many of the women who underwent symphysiotomy operations, the realisation that they had been unnecessarily injured when a more conventional form of childbirth was available (Caesarean Section) came many years after the event, but at a time when there was very little information or support provided to those who had been injured by symphysiotomy medical negligence.
Fortunately, the Irish government is considering calls from campaigners to lift the Statute of Limitations for those women who still survive today – enabling them to claim symphysiotomy compensation for the initial pain they experienced at the time of the procedure and the physical and emotional traumas they have suffered ever since. As it is not yet know when, and for how long, a concession will be granted by the government, women interested in claiming compensation for symphysiotomy operations in Ireland should speak with a solicitor at the first possible opportunity.
Making Symphysiotomy Operation Claims in Ireland
Should the government lift the Statute of Limitations for those claiming compensation for symphysiotomy operations in Ireland; claims for symphysiotomy operation compensation will have to be made through the High Court as the Injuries Board Ireland declines to assess claims which involve medical negligence. As a precedent has already been set with the symphysiotomy operation case of Olivia Kearney, making symphysiotomy operation claims in Ireland should not be too complicated or lengthy, however how much compensation for a symphysiotomy operation in Ireland each claimant will receive will be based on their own different circumstances.
Calculating Symphysiotomy Operation Settlements
Symphysiotomy operation settlements of compensation will be calculated on the merit of each symphysiotomy operation case. There are four main factors that a symphysiotomy operation solicitor would consider when preparing a case for a client claiming compensation for symphysiotomy operations in Ireland:-
- The pain that was experienced at the time of the symphysiotomy operation. Not all women were completely anaesthetised at the time of the procedure and many could not walk for several days afterwards.
- The physical consequences of the symphysiotomy operation. Some women have suffered all their adult life with ongoing mobility issues, back pain and incontinence – without knowing why and receiving inadequate medical support.
- The psychological injuries that have been attributed to the symphysiotomy procedure range from embarrassment to depression to being unable to form an emotional bond to the child who was born via a symphysiotomy operation.
- Any financial costs that have been incurred due to seeking medical treatment for the consequences of the unnecessary procedure can be recovered when claiming compensation for symphysiotomy operation, along with any loss of income and missed opportunities that the client may have experienced due to their doctor´s negligence.
Free Advice from a Symphysiotomy Operation Solicitor
If you believe you may have been the victim of symphysiotomy medical negligence and would like to find out more about claiming compensation for symphysiotomy operations in Ireland, you are invited to call our free helpline and discuss your symphysiotomy operations case with an experienced and understanding solicitor.
You may not be ready yet to go into full details of your symphysiotomy operation, but if we can answer your questions about claiming compensation for symphysiotomy operations in Ireland, you will be in a position to make an informed decision when the government lift the Statute of Limitations of symphysiotomy claims.
To contact us, either call our freephone number or complete your details in the call-back request form at the top or bottom of this page. There is no obligation on you to proceed with a claim for symphysiotomy compensation once you have spoken with us and any personal details you provide to us during our conversation will remain strictly confidential.