There are many reasons for opting to undergo cosmetic surgery. While some do it to purely to meet today’s perception of beauty, most do so to feel happier and more confident in their own skin.

Whatever the reason, the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery is not lightly taken. Not only can cosmetic surgery be expensive, but it can often take weeks, if not months, to recover. These sacrifices, along with the fact that it can often involve a lifetime of planning, expectation, and promise, means that when cosmetic surgery goes wrong, dreams can be dashed within the blink of an eye.

Increasingly popular here in Ireland, some of these common procedures include:

  • Brazilian Butt Lifts
  • Breast augmentations
  • Botox
  • Chin implants
  • Eyelid surgery
  • Facelifts
  • Lip fillers
  • Liposuction
  • Nose jobs
  • Skin resurfacing
  • Tummy tucks

The sad fact is that the recent popularity for such procedures has resulted in a significant increase in the amount of poorly-performed cosmetic surgery. One of the main reasons for this is that the term ‘cosmetic surgeon’ is not a term regulated by The Medical Council of Ireland. This means that any doctor can call themselves a ‘cosmetic surgeon’ without having any specific background or advanced specialist training in that area – resulting in many people receiving a lower standard of care than they require.

We at O’Brien & Company Solicitors are experts in this area. We have represented clients with wound ruptures, grotesque scarring, bacterial infections and abscesses, dying tissue, and irreversible disfigurement. While we are unable to reverse the consequences of a poorly-performed cosmetic surgery, we can help you claim for any entitlement to compensation that you may have.

I’VE RECEIVED A POORLY-PERFORMED COSMETIC SURGERY. WHAT’S NEXT?

A botched or poorly-performed cosmetic surgery is a form of medical negligence and it therefore involves taking a medical negligence claim – referring to injuries that have been sustained at the hands of a healthcare professional who has failed in their duty of care. Because it is a complex area of Irish law, medical negligence claims are primarily dealt with by way of legal action in the courts and generally involve the following steps:

1. Seek legal advice – if you’re the victim of a botched or poorly-performed cosmetic surgery, seeking the advice of an experienced medical negligence solicitor is in your best interest.

2. Accessing medical records and obtaining expert reports – once you have instructed expert medical negligence solicitors in Dublin such as O’Brien & Company Solicitors, they will begin by compiling your medical records. This is required in order to engage an independent expert in cosmetic surgery who will advise whether or not the standard of care you received fell below the accepted standard. This advice is what forms the foundation of a medical negligence case.

3. Assessing the claim – botched or poorly-performed cosmetic surgery can have serious and often life-changing consequences. Compensation is often necessary to help with these changes or indeed to fix what went wrong. Calculating the costs that have been incurred or those that may arise is a vitally important step. A solicitor will generally engage the help of experts to assess the value an overall claim.

4. Issuing court proceedings – once a stateable case has been established, a solicitor, along with the advice of a barrister(s), will prepare and file the relevant court papers setting out the basis of the claim.

IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OF BOTCHED OR POORLY-PERFORMED COSMETIC SURGERY, GET IN TOUCH

If you are a victim of botched or poorly-performed cosmetic surgery, obtaining the advice of a professional and experienced  solicitor is in your best interests. This must also be done as soon as possible as a claim of this type must be made within two years from the date that you became aware of your injury – whether that’s the day you received the negligent treatment or many years later.

Our team of solicitors in Dublin 7 recognise the significant emotional and financial consequences that such injuries can have for you and your family. That’s why we will do everything we can to make the process run as smoothly as possible for you. We will work long and hard to make sure that you obtain the compensation that you deserve. Call O’Brien & Company Solicitors on (01) 874 6959.