Bowel Incontinence after an Accident – Lawyer for Injury Victims

Are you struggling with bladder or bowel issues after a car accident? Have you been diagnosed with bowel incontinence after a slip and fall? If your accident was caused by someone else’s careless or reckless conduct, you may be eligible for monetary compensation, which you can obtain by filing an accident claim.

An unexpected accident can result in many injuries, including problems controlling your bladder, sphincter, and other parts of your digestive and urinary systems. It’s essential that you determine the cause of your accident and who is responsible, which we can assist you with here at Normandie Law Firm. Please contact our office and schedule a time to discuss your rights with a car accident lawyer or an attorney that specializes in fall accident injuries.

What is Bowel Incontinence?

Also known as fecal incontinence, this is a condition that refers to an inability to control your bowel movements. Bowel incontinence can range from occasional leakage of stool from the rectum to complete loss of bowel control. In either case, the leakage happens without warning, and the patient is unable to control the urge to defecate.

In most cases, fecal or bowel incontinence is associated with or happens in conjunction with other bowel conditions, like gas and bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. However, you can also develop the condition from the physical trauma of an accident. In fact, post-accident incontinence is common among car accident and fall injury victims.

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How Does an Accident cause Bowel Incontinence?

There are several conditions from an accident that can lead to bowel incontinence. For instance, bladder trauma or injuries to the bladder can lead to incontinence, along with other problems, like pelvic pain and difficulty emptying the bladder when you urinate.

Another cause of incontinence after a slip and fall, trip and fall, or auto accident has to do with nerve damage. In this situation, the victim has a spinal cord injury that causes malfunctions in the nervous system, thereby affecting their control over their bowel and bladder functions. If the injury is in the sacral spinal cord, the victim’s ability to coordinate muscle movements for the sake of emptying the bowels (contracting, for example) may be affected, which is another cause of fecal incontinence.

Understandably, bowel incontinence is an embarrassing subject to talk about, but seeking immediate medical care is critical to improving the issue and avoiding potentially fatal complications. Please don’t wait to see a doctor and explore the available treatment options if you are dealing with bowel incontinence after falling down or being in a car accident.

Can I Sue if I Develop Bowel Incontinence after an Accident?

Yes, you can sue if you end up with bowel incontinence after a car accident or any other incident that causes physical trauma to the body. Alternatively, you may be diagnosed with permanent bowel incontinence after a slip and fall or trip and fall accident.

In order to file a lawsuit, you must prove the following elements:

• The person or entity (defendant) you are suing had a duty of care to you, (you were a fellow motorist or pedestrian, you were a guest / visitor on their property, etc.)

• The defendant breached that duty of care by an act of negligence, for ex: failing to make repairs, running through a stop sign, or not cleaning up a spill.

• As a result of the defendant’s negligence, you had an accident that resulted in bodily harm.

• The harm you suffered merits compensation, such as medical expenses, property damage, and lost wages.

If these factors are applicable to your situation, you have the basis for a personal injury lawsuit. The next step is to verify your right to sue and the legal actions you’ll need to take with an accident lawsuit attorney. For legal advice from a member of our legal team, contact us for a free case review.

Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim

Negligence is a critical component in a personal injury base. However, it is not necessary to prove that someone failed in their duty of care to you if you were injured at work. The accident may have occurred at your workplace or a different job site, or while performing a work-related duty (making a delivery, for example).

As someone who was hurt on the job, your employer must help you file a workers’ compensation claim for monetary benefits. Even if no one is to blame and the incident was simply a case of bad luck, you are entitled to these payments, which are guaranteed by the State of California. Please notify your employer that you have been injured right away, as work accident injury claims have tight deadlines. For more information on the statute of limitations to file a workers’ compensation claim, please see the section titled “Statute of Limitations to Sue for an Accident at Work.”

Value of a Claim for Accident Resulting in Bowel Incontinence

The total value of an accident injury claim can vary from $5,000 to over $10,000,000 based on the severity of injuries, their impact on your personal and professional life, degree of emotional trauma, and many other issues. For auto accidents, the majority of our clients receive anywhere from $125,000 to $2,000,000 and above. Slip and fall and trip and fall cases are resolved for anywhere between $15,000 and $3,000,000.

Keep in mind that bowel incontinence is a complication resulting from nerve damage, spinal cord injury, or another condition that’s commonly associated with traumatic accidents. Thus, your settlement value is based on all the injuries you’ve sustained, along with pain and suffering and other qualifying damages. That’s why settlements can exceed $1,000,000 for accidents resulting in multiple, serious injuries.  

Amount of Time to Settle a Bowel Incontinence Injury Claim

Settling a bowel incontinence after a fall injury or auto accident claim can take between 6 to 24 months, depending on the extent of your injuries, the complexity of the investigation, the defendant’s willingness to negotiate a settlement, and many other factors. Cases of injuries that are relatively minor may settle in just a few months, but those who end up with permanent health issues, particularly disability, can take over 2 years. There is a remote chance that your lawsuit will go to trial, and that can add one or more years to the legal process. However, it’s very rare that court intervention is required to obtain payment on behalf of an accident victim.

How Long Do I have to File my Lawsuit?

In California, those who suffered injuries due to someone else’s negligence have 2 years to file a lawsuit for monetary damages. This time period starts from the date of the accident, so it’s in your best interest to contact a personal injury law firm right away.

Some accidents produce injuries that take months, maybe even years to develop or properly diagnose. This is why victims also have the right to file a claim within 1 year from the date of discovering an injury after an accident. That way, you can go by whichever date comes later – the accident date or the date of discovery – to sue the individual or entity that’s liable for the car crash, slip and fall, etc.

Statute of Limitations to Sue for an Accident at Work

Unlike lawsuits for personal injury, a workers’ comp claim involves two deadlines:

• You must report the accident to your employer within 30 days of injury

• You must file a claim with your employer’s workers’ comp insurance provide no less than 1 year from the accident.

As you can see, the amount of time to file a workplace injury claim is only 1 year, so you must get the ball rolling on filing the necessary forms as soon as possible. And waiting on a claim wouldn’t help you at all, since it would only delay the benefits you need to cover your medical expenses and lost income.

In some cases, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit, even if you are already receiving benefits through workers’ comp. For example, there may be a third party, like a construction company, product manufacturer, or homeowner, whose negligence caused you bodily harm while you were working. Filing a third party lawsuit for a work-related accident is incredibly complex, so please make sure to speak with a workplace accident lawyer as soon as possible.

Lawyer that can Help You Sue for an Accident

Victims of an accident need help from a lawyer with experience in claims for negligence and misconduct. Our dedicated team of personal injury lawyers is waiting to provide you with advice and guidance, so don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Our clients receive a Zero Fee Guarantee from us if they wish to proceed with a lawsuit, so you will never have to worry about paying for an experienced attorney. The only way we get paid is by recovering your settlement, which includes the cost of legal fees. To take advantage of this offer and learn about the legal options that are available to you, contact the offices of Normandie Law Firm.

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