Cosmetic Surgery Medical Negligence

Cosmetic surgery has become increasingly popular in Ireland in recent years, and while many lives
have been positively impacted by these procedures, complications as a result of medical negligence
is always a risk. Cosmetic surgery encompasses any procedure carried out in order to to alter
appearance, meaning inadequate results can often have a more prominent psychological impact
than other procedures.

Common Cosmetic Procedures:

Rhinoplasty (nose surgery)
Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
Botox
Liposuction
Facelift
Laser hair removal
Otoplasty
Breast augmentation
Forehead lift
Laser tattoo removal
Hair replacement
Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery)

Common injury sustained as a result of negligence:

Infection
Avoidable or unexpected scarring
Nerve damage
Poor results
Surgical error
Failing to achieve the required objective
Disfigurement

Defining Negligence:

The medical practitioner that carried out the procedure must be considered to have fallen below the standard of care that would be expected by the average competent practitioner in their field. If you believe that you have received sub-standard care or aftercare that has resulted in physical or emotional damage, you be able to claim.

Compensation:

The level of compensation payable to you is directly related to the level of injury and trauma that you suffered together with the impact that the negligent treatment has had on your quality of life. Compensation is usually broken down into two parts:

General damages. This is compensation for the pain and suffering that you have endured to date together with the likely pain and suffering that you will endure into the future.
Special damages. These are items of expenditure and financial loss that you have incurred up to the date of the court award and possible likely future financial losses, for example the cost of any private treatment, medication, aids and appliances, loss of earnings to date, loss of earnings into the future, the cost of any ongoing care and treatment required.

How long do you have to make a claim:

Any person who wishes to pursue a claim for medical negligence through the courts must do so within 2 years of the mistake being made or within 2 years of gaining the knowledge that a mistake was made.

Once proceedings are issued the case can take approximately 2-3 years to come before the courts for hearing. Early legal assistance can be vital as the time limits for bringing an action are very strict. If you believe that you have suffered as a result of substandard cosmetic surgery then you may be able to make a claim for compensation. We are happy to have an initial consultation with you where we will give you an initial assessment and advise you about your options.