Cosmetic surgery used to be something that only the incredibly rich and famous could afford, with us all being intrigued by the sudden change of appearance of famous figures such as (the most famous of them all) Michael Jackson. Even now, many glossy magazines often run stories about celebrities that may have had plastic surgery with “experts” in the field comparing photographs and guessing as to which secret procedure they have undergone.
However, when we think of these articles and photographs, our opinions don’t usually consist of comments such as “don’t they look good” or “you could never tell” – usually it is more like “that looks awful” and “why would you ever do that?!”. So why are millions still taking that plunge and going under the knife every year to change their appearance?
This question is one that unfortunately I do not have the space to fully answer in this blog; however in short it seems that we simply cannot get enough of trying to achieve our desired appearance. However, unfortunately, cosmetic surgery is not always the perfect solution it appears to be – like any other medical procedure, negligence and mistakes can occur which can leave disastrous and life threatening results.
Making a claim for negligent cosmetic surgery can be quite difficult; as with any medical treatment there will always be inherent risks and therefore you have to prove that what happened was not just an inherent risk but rather something that would have never happened had it not been for the negligence of the doctor, surgeon, or nurse etc. It is also important that you establish that the injury caused is a direct result of the negligence – for example: been unable to close your eyes properly after surgery as too much tissue has been removed.
Unfortunately, although the cosmetic industry has grown rapidly over the years, it has been left to “self-regulate” meaning that in some cases it is as easy to undergo surgery as it is to buy a toothbrush (see the recent review concerning dermal fillers!). In the wake of the PIP breast implant scandal it has become clear that more regulation is required and this is being debated by parliament as I write this blog, however this does not assist people whose negligence has already occurred.
The best thing to do with these claims is to consider starting it straight away as it is important to gather evidence whilst it is still fully accessible and memories are fresh. Here at The Injury Lawyers we have dealt with many cases regarding medical negligence and therefore know how best to get things moving as soon as possible.
So contact us today to discuss starting your claim.
