In this guide, we will look at the process of claiming compensation for cosmetic surgery negligence. Cosmetic surgery is any elective procedure that someone undergoes to alter or affect their appearance.
All medical professionals have a duty of care to their patients. They must provide them with care that meets a minimum standard.
If this standard is deviated from and you sustain harm that could have been avoided by the right level of care being administered, then you could be entitled to claim.
In this guide, we will look at the process of claiming compensation for the harm caused by cosmetic surgery.
Our advisors are happy to offer you free legal advice about the process of claiming. To get in touch, you can:
- Call us today on 0800 4087 827
- Use our online contact form to write to us
- Speak with an advisor using the chat feature below
Jump To A Section
- Our Guide To Cosmetic Surgery Negligence Claims
- What Is Cosmetic Surgery Negligence?
- Medical Negligence Compensation Calculator
- Could I Make A No Win No Fee Claims For Cosmetic Surgery Negligence?
- FAQs On Negligent Cosmetic Surgery
- Request A Call Back
- Related Resources
Our Guide To Cosmetic Surgery Negligence Claims
Medical professionals in all healthcare disciplines have a duty of care to their patients. This means that the care you receive cannot fall below a minimum standard. The Royal College of Surgeons of England set out the responsibilities of a surgeon registered to them.
If you experience harm as a result of a surgeon breaching the duty of care that they owe, and if this harm would have been avoided by them providing the right level of care, then you could be entitled to claim compensation.
In some cases, pain and discomfort are an unavoidable part of medical procedures, including cosmetic ones. For example, if you undergo a rhinoplasty, this might entail bruising around the eyes, pain in the face and light nosebleeds. However, if it was not caused by a breach of duty of care, then you’d be unable to claim.
Continue reading this guide to learn more about claiming compensation for medical negligence during a cosmetic procedure. Alternatively, get in touch with a member of our team for guidance on claiming for cosmetic surgery negligence.
What Is Cosmetic Surgery Negligence?
Medical negligence is when a medical professional breaches the duty of care that they owe, causing harm that could’ve been avoided by the right level of care being provided.
There are a number of ways that a medical professional could breach the duty of care that they owe in a way that causes harm. For example:
- Failing to check your medical records and therefore missing an allergy to anaesthetic, resulting in a reaction that causes you harm
- Failing to make you aware of any of the side effects that they know are a risk
- Performing an operation such as liposuction on the wrong part of the body
- A prescription error means that you take antibiotics in too low of a dose after an operation; this dosage error could leave you vulnerable to infection
- Nerve damage resulting in facial paralysis
Simply being unhappy with the results of a cosmetic procedure would not be grounds for a claim. You would need to show that you were owed a duty of care and that this care was breached in a way that caused avoidable physical or psychological harm.
Get in touch today to see if you could be connected with one of the hospital negligence solicitors from our panel to work on your case.
Cosmetic Surgery Statistics
Cosmetic surgery statistics for the UK show that, in 2018, there was a 0.1% increase in procedures from 2017. There were:
- 7,745 breast augmentations
- 4,299 breast reductions
- 3,153 eyelid surgeries
- 2,912 abdominoplasties
Medical Negligence Compensation Calculator
If you have been caused harm by a medical professional breaching the duty of care that they owe, then you could be entitled to claim compensation. You may be wondering what hospital negligence payouts are worth. Some people use an online medical negligence calculator to predict what their claim may be worth.
However, these are not always accurate. This is because they might not take into account any circumstances that specifically relate to your case. Furthermore, it might not consider the head of a claim that compensates you for financial losses.
The payment you receive for the pain and suffering caused by your injuries is called general damages. Special damages, on the other hand, can compensate you for the financial impact of your injury.
You can use the table below to estimate how much money your claim could be worth. The compensation amounts included in the table are based on guidelines from the Judicial College. The table includes general damages compensation amounts only.
| Type Of Injury | Degree Of Injury | Settlement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facial disfigurement | Very severe scarring | £29,780 to £97,330 | Awarded to younger claimants where there is disfigurement and a severe psychological reaction. |
| Facial disfigurement | Less severe scarring | £17,960 to £48,420 | There is substantial disfigurement and a significant reaction psychologically. |
| Facial disfigurement | Significant scarring | £9,110 to £30,090 | Whilst the most significant effects have been reduced through surgery, there is still some cosmetic disability and some degree of psychological reaction. |
| Facial disfigurement | Less significant scarring | £3,950 to £13,740 | A single scar which may be camouflage or several small scars. |
| Facial disfigurement | Trivial scarring | £1,710 to £3,530 | With only a minor effect. |
| Jaw fracture | Very serious | £30,490 to £45,540 | Multiple fractures necessitating prolonged treatment |
| Multiple facial bone fractures | Permanent | £14,900 to £23,950 | The face is permanently deformed |
| Cheekbone fracture | Serious | £10,200 to £15,780 | Serious fractures that require surgery that cause lasting effects or disfigurement. |
| Cheekbone fracture | Simple (Surgery) | £4,350 to £6,460 | Some reconstructive surgery is required but there is a total recovery with either no minimal effects, or ones that are only minor. |
| Cheekbone fracture | Simple (No Surgery) | £2,320 to £2,990 | A simple cheekbone fracture with a complete recovery and no need for surgery. |
The second head of claim you could receive is special damages, which will reimburse you for any financial expenses caused by your injuries.
Examples of costs that could be covered by special damages can include the following:
- Medical expenses, including the cost of rectifying the issue in some circumstances
- Travel expenses
- Care expenses
- Reimbursement for loss of income
If you would like information on how much compensation your claim could be worth, speak with an advisor today. They could also connect you with a lawyer from our panel with experience on claiming for cosmetic surgery negligence.
Could I Make A No Win No Fee Claim For Cosmetic Surgery Negligence?
If you work with a lawyer in a cosmetic surgery negligence claim, this could offer you a number of benefits. For example, they could use their experience to ensure that all aspects of your claim have been addressed.
You could work with a lawyer on a No Win No Fee basis, meaning you could be offered a kind of No Win No Fee agreement called a Conditional Fee Agreement. This means that generally:
- You won’t be asked to pay upfront in order for them to start work on your claim
- There won’t be any ongoing fees to pay your lawyer
- You won’t pay your solicitor for the services that they have provided if your claim is not a success.
If your claim is successful, a success fee will be taken from your compensation payout. However, the percentage that they can take is legally capped.
If you would like to see whether a lawyer from our panel could represent you on a No Win No Fee basis, speak with an advisor today.
FAQs On Negligent Cosmetic Surgery
We will now answer some frequently asked questions about claiming compensation for negligence in cosmetic surgery.
What is surgical negligence?
Surgical negligence is a breach of duty of care on the part of a surgeon that causes a patient unnecessary or unavoidable harm. You may be able to claim for surgical negligence.
What may be the negative effects of cosmetic surgery?
There could be multiple negative effects of a cosmetic surgeon breaching the duty of care that they owe. For example:
- Wrong site surgery
- Anaesthetic negligence
- Foreign object retained in the body
How Do I Complain About A Plastic Surgeon?
The Care Quality Commission have a way for you to complain about the care you have received. However, they cannot award you compensation; in order to receive a settlement, you would need to claim.
Request A Call Back
If you have experienced unnecessary harm because of cosmetic surgery negligence, you may be eligible to make a claim for compensation. To see if you could begin your plastic surgery compensation claim, get in contact with us using the details below.
A medical negligence claims specialist will be happy to assess your claim, and if we can see that you have legitimate grounds to pursue a settlement, they could connect you with one of the lawyers from our panel.
You can:
- Call us on 0800 4087 827
- Contact us in writing using our contact form
- Use the Live Support widget to ask us a question right now
Related Resources
We hope you have found this guide to making a claim for cosmetic surgery gone wrong in the UK helpful. If you wish to learn more about making a medical negligence claim, please feel free to read more of our guides below:
- Claiming for delayed treatment
- Proving a medication error
- The main causes of medication errors
We have also included links to the external guides below:
- NHS guidance on cosmetic procedures
- Statutory Sick Pay guidance from the government
- Government report on unregulated cosmetic procedures
If you have any more questions about claiming for cosmetic surgery negligence, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Written by Chelache
Edited by Stocks