Claiming Compensation For A Cosmetic Surgery Mistake

Cosmetic surgery procedure numbers are increasing every day and more people than ever are choosing to go under the knife to enhance their looks. Both men and women are spending vast amounts of money on expensive cosmetic procedures making the cosmetic industry millions of pounds every year - and that number is continually increasing.

The increase in popularity of cosmetic surgery has led to an increase in more private surgeries. The majority of these surgeries are reputable and have fully-trained professionals who look after their patients. However, there are private surgeries popping up and they tend to be more interested in taking your money than looking after you properly during your procedure.

With so many deals and offers in circulation, especially online, for Botox treatments, teeth whitening and liposuction; cosmetic procedures are more easily accessible to people who may not have been able to afford them before.

Going through with surgery is a personal decision that should not be taken lightly, no matter what the type of treatment is. In most cases, your surgeon or therapist will inform of you of all of your options and of any risks or complications with your procedure. By law, you must then be given the time to go away and think about whether you want to go through with your procedure, and make an informed decision. The majority of cosmetic surgeries are all above board but unfortunately, some surgeries are more concerned with taking your money than looking after your welfare.

If you think you weren't given the care you are entitled to before, during, or after a cosmetic procedure, you may be able to claim for cosmetic surgery compensation. Below are a few of the most common types of medical negligence compensation that people have claimed for against a cosmetic procedure:

Fillers (Botox)
Fillers are chemicals that are injected into the skin to change your appearance. Botox is one of the most common procedures carried out in the UK. To become a botox therapist all you need to hold is an EU patent, and most people can get one of these. Unfortunately, accidents occur when the Botox therapist isn't fully-trained. Those who regularly have Botox injections tend to forget it contains the poisonous chemical Botulinum, and if used incorrectly it can result in severe headaches, allergic reactions and paralysis of the wrong facial muscles.

Breast Augmentation
Another common procedure that if not performed correctly can leave you with severe scarring, lopsided breasts, bleeding, desensitisation in the nipple area and implant ruptures.

Facelifts
If facelift surgery isn't carried out properly you can be left with scars and damage to facial nerves.

Tummy-tucks
Tummy-tucks and liposuction have become a lot more popular since cheap deals have surfaced, so more people are going under the knife remove sagging skin and stretch marks. As a rule, this is a safe procedure with minimal risks but it is invasive surgery and there are cases where mistakes can happen.

All cosmetic surgery procedures carry risks and complications, and just because something has gone wrong, it doesn't mean you have a right to claim. You have to prove the level of care fell below what is expected in order to claim for negligence compensation. If you feel you have a case, you should contact a specialist lawyer to help you - claiming for cases such as these can be traumatic if you've experienced physical or psychological damage, so it's important you know the help that is available to you.

Cosmetic Surgery Compensation Claims

With around 75,000 cosmetic surgeries carried out in the UK alone each year it is no surprise that once in a while things can go wrong. The physical and mental suffering caused by a botched cosmetic surgery can be intolerable for the patient and they are entitled to compensation for their suffering.

Cosmetic surgery (or plastic surgery as it is known perhaps more commonly) can go wrong for a number of reasons. It could be a mistake by the surgeon, surgery carried out by an unqualified surgeon, poor materials used such as breast implants, excessive scarring or poor post surgery care.

Most cosmetic surgery is incredibly invasive and there is huge potential for things to go wrong, whether it's a breast enlargement, face lift, nose job, liposuction or tummy tuck.

Even if surgery goes well a patient could be entitled to compensation if they were not fully informed of all the risks, side effects and alternatives to the surgery. While the majority of plastic surgeons are qualified and experienced, there are some who are practising without the correct qualifications and they are the ones likely to NOT give a patient all the information they require to make an informed decision on whether to go ahead or not.

Should a patient feel that they have suffered physical or mental torment due to plastic surgery and want to make a cosmetic surgery compensation claim the best thing they can do is contact a specialist medical negligence solicitor. The qualified solicitor will be able to use his or her expertise and experience to judge whether or not you have a case in the first place.

They will assess the evidence, including the injuries the patient has based on the surgery they underwent, they will investigate the clinic and the surgeon who carried out the work and come to a conclusion.

Should they feel a compensation claim can be made they will then officially take the patient on as a client and make the necessary legal arrangements to pursue the claim, including gathering further evidence to ensure the case is won and adequate compensation is made.

The amount of compensation a patient receives is ultimately decided by the judge hearing the case, should it be successful, and is based on the amount of suffering or disfigurement suffered by the patient and precedent set in previous cases. It can vary from a few thousand pounds upwards, into the millions in very serious cases of negligence.

For patients worrying about paying for legal representation they should be aware that in some cases Legal Aid can be awarded, where all or part of the fees are paid for by the government. This can be difficult to obtain, however, so a more common route is to choose a medical negligence solicitor who operates on a No Win, No Fee basis.

They will only charge for their services if the case is successful, which also means that if they decide to take on a case they are confident that they will be successful.