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Retained Placenta Medical Negligence Compensation Guide

By Marlon Cooke. Last Updated 23rd June 2025.

In this guide, we look at how to claim retained placenta medical negligence compensation. A retained placenta can be a serious and potentially even life-threatening condition due to associated haemorrhaging (serious blood loss). In most cases, the placenta will usually be delivered within 30 minutes of the birth of the baby.

However, there are instances where the full placenta or all of the membranes are not delivered and some tissue is retained in the uterus. Whilst the condition could arise even if medical staff are carrying out their duties correctly, there is the potential for a retained placenta and haemorrhaging taking place because a doctor, nurse or midwife has made an error. They may have failed to spot retained placenta symptoms or not acted with due care and attention.

Failing to diagnose a retained placenta could be life-threatening and medical staff could be held accountable for negligence. In such cases, you could be able to make a birth negligence compensation claim against the responsible party.

You can find out more about both retained placenta medical negligence compensation and how one of our solicitors may be able to help you in the guide below. At any time, you can also speak with our advisory team to see if you have a case to claim by:

A woman giving birth while a doctor assists.

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A Guide To Retained Placenta Medical Negligence Compensation

Compensation claims for medical negligence which leads to a retained placenta are a type of birth injury negligence claim.

After the birth of a baby, the placenta must be fully delivered. This happens during the ‘third stage of labour,’ where the afterbirth comes out, but you may not notice it being delivered. However, the medical staff present should be aware of whether this stage of labour has or has not happened. They should also note any retained placenta symptoms.

If the placenta is not delivered soon after the birth of the child there may be the need for surgical intervention. The midwife is responsible for ensuring the complete delivery of the afterbirth. They must identify whether the placenta and membranes have been fully delivered or are ragged. In some instances, they may recommend retained placenta surgery if necessary.

You can learn more about making a retained placenta medical negligence compensation claim by speaking with our advisory team.

What Does The Placenta Do?

The placenta is an organ that separates the baby’s and mother’s blood supply whilst also linking the baby and mother. It is attached to the womb lining and the baby’s umbilical cord during pregnancy.

This organ carries out functions which the baby can not carry out itself. For instance, the placenta passes nutrients and oxygen from the mother to the baby’s blood supply through the umbilical cord. It then transports waste products from the baby to the mother to be disposed of.

A mother’s placenta also produces different hormones, allowing the baby to develop and grow. Babies are also protected from infection and bacteria (though not from viruses), as the placenta passes on antibodies from the mother. That provides immunity for up to 4 months.

What Causes A Retained Placenta?

There are 3 main causes or reasons why a placenta left in afterbirth may happen. These are:

  • The womb either does not contract enough to separate the placenta from the womb wall or stops contracting, leaving the placenta in the uterus after delivery.
  • The placenta does detach from the womb but is trapped by the cervix.
  • The placenta embeds itself into the womb. This is more likely to happen in cases of a retained placenta after a C-section from a previous pregnancy. In such cases, the placenta might grow through the womb wall.

Such instances are more likely to occur in cases where a baby is born prematurely. However, they can happen after an abortion or a miscarriage.

Can retained placenta pass naturally? It is possible that a retained placenta could be passed naturally. However, your midwife will determine the most appropriate course of action. If the medical staff failed to provide the correct standard of care, causing unnecessary suffering, then you may be able to make a retained placenta medical negligence compensation claim.

Diagnosing A Retained Placenta

The process of diagnosing a retained placenta may occur if it is not delivered within specific timeframes, such as:

  • Natural (or physiological) management of the third stage of labour: 1 hour.
  • Active management of the third stage of labour: 3 minutes.

If you initially were unsuccessful in trying natural management, your midwife may move you on to active management to pass the placenta. At this point, if active management also does not work, you may need to have a manual removal.

When delivered, your doctor or midwife can examine the placenta to check if it is intact. Your doctor should be able to determine if even a small portion of the placenta is missing from what has been delivered. If your doctor or midwife thinks that there may be tissues left in your womb they may carry out an investigation, such as performing an ultrasound. They will then recommend the appropriate course of action.

You can share your personal experience with our advisory team. They are available 24/7 and are here to help.

Could I Make A Retained Placenta Compensation Claim?

You could make a retained placenta compensation claim if you can establish that you suffered unnecessarily because of medical negligence. For the purposes of a retained placenta claim, negligence means that a medical professional or environment (such as a hospital) failed to meet their duty of care, causing unnecessary suffering.

When a medical professional treats you, they immediately owe you a duty of care. It means that they must provide you with the correct standard of care expected of them.

Different disciplines will require different steps to meet this duty. For example, doctors can follow the standards and guidance provided by the General Medical Council (GMC). No matter what their professional field is, they need to make sure that the care they provide meets a minimum expected standard.

However, it’s important to point out that not all harm is avoidable or caused by substandard care. You can learn more about what might constitute medical negligence by speaking with an advisor. They can also provide you with a free case assessment to see if you can claim retained placenta compensation.

A close-up of a female patient lying on a bed.

Retained Placenta Medical Negligence Claim Examples

In a successful claim for retained placenta medical negligence, you could receive both general and special damages. General damages are the compensation for the pain and distress you may have suffered. Any associated financial losses are covered by special damages.

Below, we have listed a selection of suggested compensation brackets from the Judicial College Guidelines. This document publishes these brackets for various forms of harm, which your solicitor may use when assessing general damages.

Since the brackets are suggested, this table isn’t a guarantee of compensation. Please also note that the first entry in this table isn’t a JCG figure.

HarmCompensation
Severe Harm And Special DamagesUp to £500,000+
Female Reproductive Injuries a)£140,210 to £207,260
Female Reproductive Injuries b)£52,490 to £124,620
Female Reproductive Injuries c)£68,440 to £87,070
Female Reproductive Injuries d)£21,920 to £44,840
Female Reproductive Injuries e)£8,060 to £22,800
Female Reproductive Injuries f)£4,140 to £24,930
Female Reproductive Injuries g)In the Region of £12,450
Severe Psychiatric Damage£66,920 to £141,240
Moderately Severe Psychiatric Damage£23,270 to £66,920

As mentioned, you may also be able to claim for the financial impact of the harm you endured. So long as you have proof like bank statements, you could be able to claim compensation for the cost of:

  • Care from professionals or loved ones.
  • Private medical treatments or medications.
  • Mental health services like counselling or therapy.
  • Loss of earnings if you needed to take time off from work.
  • Any home adaptations or special equipment needed to support you.

Please reach out to one of our team for further guidance on proving special damages and how one of our solicitors might be able to help.

How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Retained Placenta?

In general, you have 3 years to start a claim for retained placenta compensation. The Limitation Act 1980 establishes this legal time limit, which may begin from the date that the negligence occurred. 

However, in some cases, medical negligence may not be immediately apparent. Therefore, the time limit may start from the date on which you learned that you suffered unnecessary harm because of it. 

In some cases, time limits are frozen for individuals who cannot make retained placenta claims for themselves. This can apply to those who are:

  • Mentally incapacitated: The 3-year time limit will only apply in cases where someone regains mental capacity, dated to when the recovery happens.
  • Below the age of 18: Once a child turns 18, then they have 3 years in which to begin their claim.

Alternatively, another person can help claim on someone’s behalf while time limits are on hold by becoming a litigation friend. This role requires an adult (like a loved one) to act in the best interests of the claimant and maintain communications with their solicitor.

You can contact our advisors at any time to find out if you could claim retained placenta medical negligence compensation. They can provide further details regarding the process and answer any queries you have, such as ‘Can I claim for retained placenta on a No Win No Fee basis?’

No Win No Fee Claims For Retained Placenta Medical Negligence Compensation

Making No Win No Fee claims for retained placenta medical negligence compensation protects individuals from spiralling solicitor fees. Our solicitors work under a Conditional Fee Agreement, which means:

  • No solicitor fees to start a claim.
  • Not paying extra solicitor fees as a case moves forward.
  • Zero solicitor fees if a claim fails.

Instead, if you win, you will pay for your solicitor’s work through a success fee. This fee is deducted from your compensation, but you’ll keep the bulk as the percentage taken is legally capped.

A solicitor discusses retained placenta medical negligence compensation with a client.

Contact A Legal Expert

Our advisors are live 24/7, so you can always be sure to get a swift reply once you decide to contact Legal Expert. They can provide you with tailored advice and a free case assessment to see if you can claim with one of our experienced medical negligence solicitors. To get started, you can speak with our advisory team by:

Medical Resources And Claims Guides

Below, you can find some other medical negligence guides:

You can find out more about retained placentas from the following external resources:

We hope our guide to retained placenta medical negligence compensation has helped you.