Hobbsr: Dermal Fillers With Side Effects: When Can You Sue?

Dermal Fillers Gone Bad. It happens much more often than you think. Sometimes a qualified medical professional has a cosmetic surgery mishap, leading to negative side effects. But more often, an unqualified person is injecting fillers that may not be approved for the intended procedure. In many of these cases, a lawsuit is possible. But can you prevail? That's another story.

Cardi B's Unorthodox Butt Enhancement

Take, for instance, the story of Cardi B. A few years ago, she received dermal fillers for a butt enhancement in someone's basement for $800. She said it was excruciatingly painful, and for days afterwards, liquid was oozing from the injection site. From a legal perspective, there are numerous issues here. First, the low price alone should have been a red flag; butt enhancements usually run around $5,000. The procedure took place in a basement, which is illegal since it is an unregulated nonmedical setting.

Because of the setting and the likely unqualified care provider, pain killers were probably not possible. Injections are not a recognized form of butt enhancement, and most likely the product used was not approved for this specific medical use. And the oozing was proof that an infection had set in, and she was lucky she didn't have further complications from the whole matter.

Could Cardi B sue for battery, malpractice, and a host of other cause of actions? Probably! But it's likely the "medical professional" has skipped town, like Dr. Bumbum down in Brazil. Good luck prevailing against that practitioner.

Even Legal Surgeries Can Go Awry

Sometimes even the best surgeons have bad days, and bad outcomes. The most common negative side effects from dermal fillers are swelling and infection, though there have been more severe outcomes, such as blindness, pain and necrosis. In almost all cases, the problem stemmed not from a defective product, but from poor technique from the health care professional. Therefore, these suits end up as medical malpractice cases. In the nine litigated cases for fillers from 2014 to 2016, the median settlement amount was $262,000.

If you have recently gotten dermal fillers, and are experiencing any negative side effects, from as simple as pronounced swelling to as egregious as blindness, contact a local medical malpractice attorney today. A legal adviser can listen to the facts of your case and help you decide on your best legal course of action.

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