Bowel injury
compensation claims

If a bowel injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward

Bowel injuries can result from medical procedures, accidents, or physical trauma. Such injuries can have long-term health consequences, and in cases of negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for any pain and suffering, ongoing treatment and financial losses.

You can make a No Win, No Fee compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.

Essential points when making a bowel injury claim

• Claims can result in compensation from £13,970 for mild bowel illness to as much as £204,350 for double incontinence.
• You can claim whether your bowel injury happened at work, on the road, in a public place, or due to medical negligence.
• You can make a claim within 3 years of your injury date.
• Your compensation will depend on the seriousness of your injury, and your financial losses and expenses. You can find out how much you can claim with our compensation calculator.
• You claim will also compensate you for the impact on your quality of life, especially if your bowel injury requires you to obey strict dietary requirements, a colostomy bag, or led to frequent incontinence.
• You can claim on a no win, no fee basis.

With 6.5 Britons suffering from a bowel problem, you are not alone

Around 6.5 million people in the UK have some form of bowel problem, and in 2022/23, 6,618 patients were admitted to hospital with IBS (digital.nhs.uk).

Bowel injuries resulting from negligence are not particularly common, however, but they can occur as a result of abdominal trauma, surgical procedures, or severe medical conditions. Car accidents, falls, or sports injuries, where a forceful impact leads to internal damage can also lead to bowel injury.

Certain medical conditions, like diverticulitis or inflammatory bowel disease, can also lead to bowel injuries or complications.

If you were injured as a result of another party's actions or negligence, you may be able to claim compensation. If you decide to make a bowel injury claim, your personal injury solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.

If you need information on digestive injury symptoms and treatment, see: stomach and bowel pain (nhs.uk).

How much compensation can I claim for a bowel injury?

The amount of money you could claim for a bowel injury will depend on:

• the seriousness of your injury, and
• any financial losses or costs you have incurred.

At the start of your claim, your solicitor will consider the many ways your injuries have affected your life. Your solicitor will take these considerations into account to calculate the correct compensation award.

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

Special damages is compensation awarded to cover any financial losses and expenses you incur as a result of your bowel injury or negligent medical treatment. These damages aim to put you back in the financial position you would have been in, had your injury not occurred.

Special damages will also cover your medical treatment expenses, that might include surgical repair, antibiotics, pain medication and bowel rest.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Average bowel injury compensation payouts

The following bowel injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).

These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.

Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).

Abdominal injury

Bowel injury

Do I have a bowel injury claim?

You can make a claim for a bowel injury, if:

• you were injured in the last 3 years, and;
• another person was at fault, and;
• that person had a legal duty of care to safeguard you from harm.

Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.

Compensation claims with shared fault

It's not unusual for personal injury claims to involve fault on both sides.

In our 2025 Personal Injury Claimant Survey, we found that 13.99% of respondents felt they had at least some responsibility for the injuries they sustained.

Claims are possible even when your actions partially caused the accident. In instances of 'contributory negligence', claims are usually settled with a split liability agreement.

Read more:

Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?

How long do I have to claim bowel injury compensation?

In most cases, you have 3 years from the date of your accident or injury.

If you were injured when you were under 18, a parent, guardian or adult 'litigation friend' can make a claim on your behalf. Once you turn 18, you have until your 21st birthday to start an injury claim.

Common bowel injury compensation claims

The majority of bowel injuries are sustained as a result of either medical negligence. Perforated bowel or ruptured bowel injuries are also a common injury sustained in high-impact collisions.

Bowel injury caused by medical negligence

Where there is a risk of bowel injury during a surgical procedure, medical staff should be prepared to take appropriate remedial action.

For example, if the bowel is perforated, ruptured or torn during surgery, there could be a risk of infection, sepsis, septicaemia (blood poisoning) or peritonitis. Further remedial surgery will increase the risk of complications and increase recovery time.

In some cases a bowel injury may have been preventable with the appropriate diagnosis, medical attention and care. For example, a perforated or leaking bowel should be urgently repaired to prevent septicaemia, or a blocked or twisted bowel should be treated by medical staff as a surgical emergency.

Bowel cancer misdiagnosis claims, damage to bowels during childbirth and damage following radiotherapy are also common.

Medical staff may fail to identify potential causes of bowel injury, or there may be an error or failures in the speed and standard of care provided. Where bowel injury has been caused as a result of medical negligence, or failures in standards of medical care, it may be possible to make a bowel injury claim.

Even if you have signed a consent form accepting the risks of a surgical procedure, you may still be able to make a claim if negligence of failures in medical care are proven.

Read more:

Medical negligence compensation claims

Bowel injury caused by high impact collision

Bowel injuries are a relatively common injury in high impact collisions, such as in a car crash. In this case, a bowel injury claim may be made against the party responsible for the collision which caused the injury.

Your solicitor will assist with identifying the driver or company responsible. It is possible to claim in the event even if the other driver is untraceable.

Read more:

Road accident compensation claims

Bowel injury claim case study 1

In 2014 a 67 year-old man was awarded £475,000 in a hospital negligence claim for a bowel injury from a surgery error.

Injury details

The claimant went to A&E suffering from severe abdominal pain. A CT scan confirmed the diagnosis of a small bowel obstruction.

Surgery was recommended and a laparotomy was performed the next day.

After initially making good progress, he suffered from abdominal pain. A CT scan showed a bowel leak which had caused peritonitis.

Emergency surgery was recommended. During this surgery the small bowel was so damaged severely that the majority of it had to be removed.

The large bowel was also damaged, with further procedures required during the operation to repair the damage.

The claimant was admitted to intensive care. Complications led to further surgery being necessary.

The surgery was drastic with large areas of his remaining bowel removed. As a result he was left needing a colostomy on a permanent basis.

Following his discharge from hospital his life was changed. He suffered discomfort and pain, as well as sleep issues. His diet was restricted. He had to eat small meals regularly and avoid fruit and vegetables.

He became breathless even when exerting himself mildly. He could not lift anything.

The man was constantly very tired, requiring a stick to walk as he was unsteady on his feet.

He was restricted in his driving and was registered as disabled.

The claimant's activities were reduced. He was unable to take walks, swim or ride a bike as he had before. He was unable to return to work.

He was forced to move house as he could no longer cope in a two storey house. Care would be needed for the rest of his life.

Independent medical reports were obtained from a consultant colorectal surgeon. The surgeon advised that the surgeons carrying out the second operation did not have sufficient competence to perform such a difficult procedure.

It was likely they would have realised during the operation the complexity and should have called for senior assistance rather than proceeding.

Allegation

It was alleged that the hospital had been negligent insofar as the first surgery had damaged his small bowel and the second surgery had caused major damage.

The surgeons should have halted the second operation when the complexity became apparent and arranged suitable specialist care.

The negligence caused irreparable damage to the claimant's bowel. He would be left with a permanent colostomy.

He would suffer from breathlessness and limited mobility needing care for the rest of his life.

Conclusion and settlement

Liability was admitted and the matter settled without progressing to a court hearing.

£475,000 was accepted by way of an out of court settlement.

£80,000 of the damages was attributed to "pain, suffering and loss of amenity."

An amount of £215,000 was accepted for past and future care.

Earnings the claimant lost prior to normal retirement age were awarded at £100,000.

In addition £40,000 was awarded for property expenses.

The remainder was allocated to repayment of benefits received and equipment needed in future.

Bowel injury claim case study 2

In 2013, compensation of £25,000 was awarded to a 69 year-old man for errors during surgery on his bowel necessitating further surgery six years earlier.

The claimant suffered abdominal pain and consulted his GP. After referral for investigation he underwent a colonoscopy. This confirmed a diagnosis of a polyp in his colon. The claimant was offered surgery as an option. The surgery involved removing the area of the colon containing the polyp.

A few months later the surgery took place at hospital. It appeared to go without incident and he was allowed to go home.

The claimant continued to suffer with abdominal pains. He developed a hernia and suffered bowel and prostate problems. He was referred to a urologist who diagnosed him with prostate cancer.

Three years after the initial operation he was asked to attend the hospital again. He was advised there had been an error in his first surgery. The wrong part of his bowel had been removed which meant that the cancerous part was left in place.

A right hemicolectomy had been performed instead of a left side resection of the bowel.

Further surgery was necessary to remove the cancerous growth. He was left with very reduced bowel function and an incisional hernia.

He suffered from abdominal bloating and discomfort. He suffered epigastric pain requiring ongoing pain medication.

Evidence of bowel surgery negligence

Evidence from a consultant oncologist maintained that the open surgery performed had been unnecessary. Less invasive laparoscopic procedure should have been done instead. The hospital had numerous opportunities to detect the error but failed to do so for three years.

Liability was admitted and the claim was settled without a court hearing. An award of £25,000 was accepted for pain, suffering and loss of amenity.

What factors affect the bowel injury claims process?

The claims process is influenced by how your bowel injury occurred. Click the icons below to find out more.

Work accidents Public places Road accidents Medical negligence Other accidents

Sources

Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher

About the author

Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.