Are Clinics That Used PIP Implants to Blame?
- Details
- Written by James C Wright
There's no doubting that the recent PIP breast implant scandal has rocked the world of cosmetic surgery. With implants placed into women that are clearly unfit for the purpose they were designed for - containing industrial grade silicon instead of the safe medical grade alternative - thousands of people in the UK have been left worried about their personal health and that of their loved ones. The ray of light for these women though is the fact that many have started to fight back, demanding compensation and corrective surgery from the clinics throughout the country that offered them this dangerous procedure in the first place.
The company that made these implants - Poly Implant Prostheses (PIP) - has already gone out of business and therefore the chance of a successful legal battle against them is low. The people that the aggrieved parties are now targeting are the clinics who placed the implants inside the breasts of women without properly understanding the dangers associated with this brand. The question is though, are these clinics really to blame, or are they just another member of this unfortunate chain of events who were fooled by the ruthless businessmen at PIP?
Well, it is the opinion of this article that they are indeed to blame, and therefore they should be held accountable for their actions. Even the Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, has stated on the record that the clinics have "failed to step up to the plate" in this matter, and that they should be doing more to address this problem. Surely this statement from the highest authority in the land regarding matters of public health should be enough to persuade people that legal action against the purveyors of this dangerous practice should not only be encouraged, but should also ultimately be successful?
If the words of the Health Secretary aren't enough to sway your opinions - after all, many people are naturally sceptical of anything coming from the mouth of a politician - then let's think of it another way. Imagine you are in the gym, and the running machine breaks, causing you to break your leg? Wouldn't you blame the gym for failing to use equipment that was up to standard, as well as the company that produced the machine in the first place? This is the same with the PIP implants; PIP are undoubtedly responsible for the substandard product, but the clinics are equally as culpable for using them without checking whether they were suitable.
There's no doubting that cosmetic surgery clinics throughout the country are in for a rough ride over the next few months. With both Germany and France ordering clinics to provide surgery to correct the problems caused, it is surely only a matter of time before British politicians bow to pressure and order the clinics to follow suit - an order that would cost the industry approximately £10,500,000 in total. This won't cover the mental anguish that women have had to go through though, and this is where the legal industry could really make its mark - gaining compensation for the 40,000 women who have been traumatised by the worry and panic created through having possible cancer causing silicone implanted into their breasts.
So, if you are one of the women with this issue, then perhaps it is time to start thinking about contacting a law firm that specialises in gaining compensation for those affected by poorly carried out cosmetic surgery? It won't change what has happened in the past, but it could lead to justice, as well as a reminder to the clinics that they have a moral obligation to provide the highest standard of care to their patients, regardless of the type of procedure they are carrying out.
Injury Claims Solutions are a UK based company specialising in getting you the compensation you deserve for poorly carried out cosmetic surgery procedures, as well as a range of other incidents that have been caused by the negligence of others.