Hernia Solicitors - Accident Compensation Claim lawyers

In most cases this injury will not have been caused by a car accident however there is a significant proportion that is a direct result of motor vehicle collisions. If you have been injured in an accident and you want to make a compensation claim for personal injury and loss just complete the contact form, email our lawyers offices or use the solicitors helpline. Our hernia solicitors solicitors offer legal advice at no cost without further obligation. If our hernia solicitors deal with your claim it will be on a no win no fee basis, compensation is paid in full and you do not have to fund or finance your car accident compensation claim.

Hernia Injury Overview

A hernia is a defect, hole, or weak area of the fascia or muscle of the abdominal cavity. You can have hernias just about anywhere in the abdominal wall and they are named due to their location. The different kinds of hernias are as follows:

• Inguinal hernia - shows up as a defect in the groin area. It is more common in men than in women and the bulge may pass down into the scrotum.
• Femoral hernia - is a bulge in the upper thigh due to abdominal contents passing through the femoral canal. This is more common in women than in men.
• Hiatal hernia - this occurs when the abdominal contents comes up through a widening or hole in the diaphragm and into the lung area.
• Incisional hernia can occur if you've had surgery and the incision was not so well connected.
• Ventral hernia - this is a hernia that occurs through a defect in the front of the abdominal wall.
• Umbilical hernia - this is a hernia that appears around the belly button. It is a bulge that occurs when the muscle of the umbilicus doesn't close completely around birth.

For most hernias, there is no obvious cause. The defect can occur with heavy lifting or it can be present at birth. There can be a family history of hernias and you can get them because of that. Previous surgery to the abdomen puts you at risk for incisional hernias. About five percent of children have inguinal hernias with boys more likely to get them over girls. Some children are born with a hernia that doesn't reveal itself until adulthood. Diaphragmatic hernias are usually something you were born with.

Other medical conditions that contribute to an increased pressure inside the abdomen and on the abdominal wall tissue and muscles can lead to a hernia. These include chronic constipation, cystic fibrosis, chronic cough, extra weight, heavy lifting, enlarged prostate (straining to urinate), smoking, poor nutrition, overexertion or an undescended testicle.

Symptoms of a hernia are usually mild to none. It can just show up as a bulge in the abdomen, groin or upper thigh that may or may not be painful to the touch or painful when straining. The pain may be worse if you stand, lift heavy objects or strain in any way. A hernia can strangulate, which means the bowel twists on itself at the level of the hernia so that the part of the bowel or tissue that has twisted doesn't get a good blood supply. This is an emergency and you need to get a surgeons opinion right away.

Signs and tests for hernia include a complete history and physical examination of the abdomen. In a hernia, there is a mass that often is worse when standing and which sucks down into the abdomen when you lie down or when you push on the hernia. Coughing, bending, lifting or straining makes the hernia bigger. A diaphragmatic hernia can be diagnosed with x-ray and a CT or MRI of the abdomen can show abdominal contents passed through the abdominal wall.

The treatment of most hernias is surgery. This is especially true with ventral hernias, hiatal or diaphragmatic hernias, and umbilical hernias. These hernias are treated by connecting up the abdominal wall or using a mesh that seals over the hole in the abdominal wall, especially if the hernia is recurrent or quite large. Small hernias can be watched carefully to make sure they don't get larger. Surgery is reserved for large hernias or hernias that are growing in size. Most hernias today use mesh or cloth to cover the hole.

If a child has an umbilical hernia that does not clear up on its own, there should be surgical repair of the hernia. Emergency surgery is done anytime a hernia strangulates. If a hernia appears stuck on the outside, it is likely strangulated and needs urgent surgery.

Surgery can be done via an open type surgery or via a laparoscope. The advantages of using a laparoscope are that small incisions are made which do not contribute to the chance of further hernias.

Hernia Solicitors

If you have suffered physically, mentally or financially, you should consider making an accident compensation claim. For telephone advice at no cost from specialist personal injury solicitors just call the helpline. Our hernia solicitors will assess the strength of your claim and will advise you on your potential award of compensation without any further obligation.

The author of the substantive medical writing on this website is Dr. Christine Traxler MD whose biography can be read here