No Win, No FeeBladder injuries can be both physically and emotionally debilitating. Such injuries can be caused by blunt trauma, penetrating wounds and, in some cases, medical negligence. If you’re suffering from a bladder injury caused by someone else, it may be possible to claim compensation. This article on bladder injury compensation claims will explain your options and provide examples of the types of accidents that could allow you to take legal action.
A good place to start if you’re thinking about claiming compensation for a bladder injury or damage is to call us for a free initial consultation. As well as receiving legal advice from a specialist, you’ll find out your chances of being compensated. There’s no obligation to make a claim but if you want to, and your claim is strong enough, a personal injury solicitor from our panel might take your case on. If that’s the case, it will be managed on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Call 0800 652 1345 to speak to us straight away or read on for more information about bladder injury claims.
What is the bladder?
The bladder has two important functions: the storage and emptying of urine from the body. It is a hollow muscular organ located in the pelvis just above the pubic bone. Urine from the kidneys travels to the bladder via two tubes called ureters. Bladder function is controlled by nerves in the cerebral cortex, brain stem and spinal cord.
The two main types of bladder injuries that can result in compensation claims are blunt trauma (a blow to the body near the bladder) and penetrating wounds such as stab or bullet wounds.
Common symptoms of bladder injuries
Some of the common symptoms linked to bladder injuries include:
- Pain and tenderness in the abdomen.
- Blood in your urine.
- An inability to empty the bladder or to begin urination.
- Painful urination.
- Bruising in the groin or abdomen.
- Urine leakage.
- Abdominal bloating.
- A weak urine stream.
- Pelvic pain.
In more serious cases, bladder injuries can cause internal bleeding or shock. This requires more urgent medical treatment and can cause symptoms like:
- A lower than normal blood pressure.
- Drowsiness, coma or decreased alertness.
- Pale skin or skin that’s cool to the touch.
- Sweating.
- An increased heart rate.
Bladder injuries can also lead to kidney damage or Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) which would need to be factored into any bladder injury compensation claim.
Treating bladder injuries
The extent of any treatment you had to undergo would also be considered if you make a personal injury claim. This can include:
- The insertion of catheters to allow blood clots to leave the bladder if it is bruised.
- Surgery to close tears in the top of the bladder to prevent urine from entering the abdominal cavity. Ruptures at the bottom of the bladder may also be sewn up or a catheter may be used to collect blood and urine in a collection bag until the leak has sealed.
- Surgery may also be needed to repair any damage caused by penetrating wounds to the bladder.
Can I claim compensation for a bladder injury?
You could be entitled to claim compensation for a bladder injury if:
- You were owed a legal duty of care by the defendant; and
- Their negligence led to an incident; in which
- You suffered a bladder injury.
To help prove what went wrong and why your bladder was injured, you can collect proof to support your claim. This will be looked at in more detail later in this article.
Types of accidents that can lead to bladder injury claims
An injured bladder could occur from any type of trauma to the abdominal area. That means there are lots of different accidents that can result in bladder injuries. Some examples of when a bladder injury claim might be possible include:
- Rupturing your bladder in an accident at work after being crushed by falling items that were stacked too high.
- Bruising to the bladder caused by a seatbelt as a passenger in a car accident from being hit from behind.
- Damage to your bladder caused by faulty equipment while playing sport.
- Bladder injuries cause by abdominal damage after hitting a hard surface following a trip and fall accident.
- A penetration wound to the bladder after being stabbed during a criminal assault.
If you’ve suffered a bladder injury in an accident we’ve not listed here, please call 0800 652 1345 and we’ll review your case for free.
Medical negligence bladder injury
When bladder cancer is diagnosed, the 5-year survival rate increases the sooner the condition is spotted according to Cancer Research UK. As such, any delay in diagnosing bladder cancer can have an impact on the chances of survival and the treatment options available to you.
If you’ve been diagnosed with bladder cancer and it can be proven that a delay in diagnosis or a misdiagnosis has caused additional suffering, a medical negligence solicitor from our panel could help you to claim compensation.
Bladder trauma from an assault
If you’ve suffered bladder trauma from an assault, a government scheme operated by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), could allow you to be compensated.
The criteria for CICA claims are similar to personal injury claims but you must:
- Not of provoked the assault.
- Report the crime to the police as soon as possible.
- Provide information about the crime to the police and the CICA when requested.
Importantly, claims are possible even if the person who assaulted you was never identified or prosecuted by the police.
A solicitor from our panel can help you to claim through the CICA scheme so please feel free to call to discuss your options. Any criminal injury claims taken on are also handled on a No Win, No Fee basis.
How much compensation for a bladder injury?
The level of compensation paid for bladder injuries varies from claim to claim. That’s because any damages awarded need to cover any suffering caused at the time of the accident as well as any in the future. If one of our solicitors takes your claim on, they’ll find out about how you’ve suffered to see if you could claim compensation for:
- The physical pain, suffering and discomfort caused by your bladder injury.
- Any psychological suffering.
- Medical expenses including prescription fees or private hospital treatment.
- The time someone else spent caring for you while you were recovering.
- Fuel, parking and other travel costs (eg for hospital appointments).
- Loss of amenity – a sum paid to cover any loss of enjoyment of your normal activities.
- Any reduction in earnings (long and short-term).
- The cost of adapting your vehicle or home if longer-term bladder problems will have an impact on your quality of life.
To find out how much compensation could be paid for your bladder injury, please call today.
Providing proof for bladder injury compensation claims
When making a bladder injury compensation claim, it’s important to present as much proof to show how you’ve been affected by your injury, who was responsible for it and how the accident happened. If you can prove all of these things, winning compensation for your suffering should be easier. The types of proof that could help include:
- Medical records. First and foremost, a copy of any medical notes, scans and test results will be obtained from the hospital that treated your bladder injury. This will help to prove the severity of the injury and the treatment required.
- Witness statements. It’s good to note the contact details of anyone who witnessed your accident as they could prove valuable information to your solicitor if liability for the accident is denied.
- Video recordings. If your accident was recorded on a mobile phone, CCTV camera or dashcam, ask for a copy of the relevant data. Data protection laws mean this is possible but you should ask quickly as footage may be deleted within a month.
- Accident reports. Businesses and employers are obliged to keep an accident report book to log any incidents on their premises. As such, you should report your accident so there is a written record that it took place.
- Photographic proof. You can take photographs of any visible injuries (stab wounds, bruising etc) to help clarify the extent of your injuries. Also, accident scene photos can help to piece together the events that led to your bladder injury.
If you want to discuss a bladder injury compensation claim with us, don’t worry if you don’t have all of the types of proof listed here. A solicitor from our panel will try to collect any information needed to support your case if they agree to represent you.
No Win, No Fee claims
In our opinion, claimants who are represented by a personal injury solicitor have a better chance of making a successful bladder injury claim and being compensated properly. We realise that the cost of legal representation can be prohibitive so our solicitors provide a No Win, No Fee service for all accepted cases.
That means that if the claim fails, you won’t need to pay your solicitor for their work.
If your solicitor wins compensation for you, they’ll deduct a success fee from your settlement to cover their costs and time. This will be detailed in your Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) but it is legally capped and cannot be any higher than 25 per cent of your compensation.
Once you’ve signed your CFA, your solicitor will get to work. As they don’t need to be paid upfront, they can:
- Collect proof.
- Contact the defendant.
- Arrange a medical assessment.
- Negotiate on your behalf.
- Try to secure the best possible compensation amount for you.
You’ll be kept up to date throughout the bladder injury claims process so you’ll be aware of how your case is progressing.
To see if you could claim for a bladder injury with one of our No Win, No Fee solicitors, please get in touch.
Bladder injury claims time limits
A solicitor on our panel can only help you to claim for a bladder injury if you claim within the appropriate time limit. For bladder injury claims, these are generally:
- 3 years from the date of your accident or the date your condition was diagnosed; or
- 2 years from the date of an assault or stabbing if you wish to make a criminal injury claim.
In both cases, the time limit does not apply if the claimant is a child. Their limitation period begins on their 18th birthday. Parents and guardians can therefore seek compensation at any time before then.
If you do wish to seek compensation for a bladder injury, we’d suggest that you get in touch as soon as possible. By doing so, you should avoid missing out on any compensation you’re entitled to because there will be plenty of time for your solicitor to collect proof and medical information to support your claim.
Start a bladder injury compensation claim today
If you or a loved one has been affected by a bladder injury caused by someone else, please call 0800 652 1345 to talk to us. Your call will be handled by a specialist who’ll assess what happened and work out your chances of being compensated.
If your case appears to be strong enough, we’ll refer you to a personal injury lawyer from our panel. If you want your claim to proceed and they agree to represent you, they’ll work on a No Win, No Fee basis so legal fees won’t apply unless you are awarded compensation.
Please use live chat to connect with us if you have any further questions on bladder injury claims, or claim your free consultation here.
