Claims for Being Aware During Anaesthesia
Around one in 1,000 people report some degree of awareness while under anaesthetic. While some people do not feel anything physically, others can experience excruciating pain and fear. If you experience this making a compensation claim can help to atone for the suffering caused and cover the cost of any counselling you may need as a result.
Our solicitors can help you every step of the way to secure compensation if you have suffered due to medical negligence. We have a great deal of experience in suing the NHS on behalf of clients who have suffered needlessly due to mistakes on the part of medical professionals.
If you or someone you know have been unfortunate enough to endure such a traumatic experience, speak to us today. Contact JMW Solicitors by calling 0345 872 6666 or complete our online enquiry form and we will get back to you as soon as we can. We offer no win, no fee legal services.
What Our Clients Say
How JMW Can Help
We have helped many people who have suffered due to anaesthetic awareness and we understand just how traumatic this experience can be. As such, our solicitors will take the time to listen to you and alleviate any concerns you may have.
Our clinical negligence team is among the most respected in the UK. We are renowned for our professional and proactive approach, which gets results for our clients, as well as our compassion and understanding of what our clients are going through.
Our team is headed by leading solicitor Eddie Jones and includes members of the Law Society’s specialist panel of clinical negligence solicitors and the Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) solicitors’ panel.
Anaesthetic Awareness Case Study
Because of the long-term problems that victims can face, compensation settlements for this type of medical negligence can be significant. Here is a case study about our experience with anaesthetic awareness claims:
A 29-year-old woman had a caesarean section and sterilisation performed under general anaesthetic. The anaesthetic was as light as possible so that the baby would be fully alert when born.
The woman was awake during the whole operation and could feel everything that was done to her and could hear the theatre staff talking, but had no way of making her distress known.
Since the experience, she has developed severe post-traumatic stress disorder and has had great difficulty bonding with the baby.
She was awarded damages of £200,000 because the anaesthetist should have been aware of the possibility of anaesthetic awareness and should have noticed what was happening.
FAQs About Anaesthetic Awareness
- What is anaesthetic awareness?
Anaesthetic awareness involves a person being either conscious or semiconscious while undergoing an operation. This happens most commonly in operations where, for safety reasons, the anaesthetist uses a minimum amount of anaesthetic.
Examples of when this might occur include:
- Caesarean section
- Open-heart surgery
- Emergency surgery
Some people may be aware of what is happening but feel no pain, while others can experience extreme pain and fear, but cannot convey this to anyone because of the paralysing effects of the anaesthetic drugs.
This is a truly terrifying experience that can, in certain cases, have long-term psychological consequences.
- What impact can anaesthetic awareness have?
Although overall incidents of anaesthetic awareness are low even one case of this type is too many. The patient may experience after-effects, including:
- Daily flashbacks
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Deep psychological scars
Talk to Us
Contact us today so we can discuss your situation in more detail and work out the right steps to take next. For a free initial assessment of your case, please fill out our online enquiry form. Alternatively for further information on all of JMW's no win, no fee clinical and medical negligence services please contact us on 0345 872 6666.
