A french appeal court has ruled that victims of the PIP breast implant scandal will receive compensation going forward.
The case involves over 2,500 victims who are suffering ill health following the insertion of the implants. It has also upheld the negligent sentence given to German company TUV Rheinland. The sentence was following proof that the company provided safety certificates for the faulty breasts.
The international case, which involves 540 Brits, could be simply the start for the victims. Further victims may come forward in time.
Jan Spivey is one of these victims. She was given PIP implants following a double mastectomy for cancer. Following the operation, Jan began to develop pain, fatigue and body aches. It was later found to be caused by a leaking implant.
She has been part of the PIP breast implant case from the beginning, feeling “exhausted and elated” with the latest ruling. Twenty years later and Jan is still suffering side effects which “impact her life and wellbeing every day”.
What is the PIP breast implant scandal?
Between the years of 2001 and 2010, French Company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) made implants which were later found to be substandard. In 2010, the company founder Jean-Claude Mas was sentenced to four years in prison for fraud. PIP was liquidated and forced to pay a fine of $75,000 euros.
The implants were found to contain industrial grade silicon, not suitable for human use. An estimate reveals 400,000 women have the faulty implants across the world. In the UK it is believed up to 47,000 have received the faulty implants.
The lawyer for Jan Spivey and over 2,000 other victims, Oliver Aumaitre,, is hopeful for a turning point today. This is after a 10 year battle where he is hoping for an “end to the long period of doubt” people have been going through for so many years.
The case is amongst the first to be bought against TUV Rheinland, subsequently called TUV1. The ruling due today is set to have wide reaching repercussions for an additional 200,000 other victims taking similar action in France.
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