An inquest has heard that Teegan Barnard could have survived following a traumatic C-section had the medics acted differently.
Problems arose when Teegan suffered from Obstructed labour and then encountered problems when delivery was attempted by caesarean section. The inquest has heard that there appear to have been two key failings;
- A failure to offer Teegan induction of labour 3 weeks before she eventually gave birth at 41 weeks which an investigation said would have been “best practice” and “appropriate”;
- A failure when Teegan suffered what is believed to have been a tension pneumothorax (a complication where air accumulates between the chest wall and the lung and increases pressure in the chest, reducing the amount of blood returned to the heart) which could have been fixed according to Surgeon Ehab Bishay by the insertion of needles to relieve pressure in the chest.
At the inquest Mr Bishay went on to say that doctors should have recognised air was not in the right place leading to pressure on her heart and that intervening earlier would have saved Teegan’s life.
Tragically, as a result of the complications surrounding the C-section, Teegan suffered brain damage and then a cardiac arrest 2 hours later. She gave birth in September 2019 and died at home in October 2019 as a result of suffering brain damage. The inquest into Teegan’s death continues.
Medical Negligence specialist Simon Mansfield comments:
This is a really tragic case, first and foremost and my thoughts go out to Teegan’s family at what will be a very difficult time. It is crucial in cases such as this that a thorough investigation takes place. I hope therefore that the inquest will provide the answers that the family are seeking and that (if necessary) lessons are learned so that others do not experience a similar tragedy.
As well as seeking answers at the inquest, if it can be established that Teegan’s death was avoidable, the family will be able to bring a claim for compensation arising from her loss.
These cases are often referred to as Fatal Accident Claims. Whilst no amount of compensation can replace the loss of a loved one, this type of claim can be a crucial means of securing a family’s financial future when they have lost not only the income that loved one may have provided, but also their support with many aspects of day to day life such as cooking, cleaning and the other chores associated with running a household and childcare.
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