Michigan Plastic Surgery Malpractice Attorney
Michigan Plastic Surgery Malpractice Settlements Attorney
For over 30 years, the attorneys at Lipton Law have been handling medical malpractice cases. If you have been the victim of medical malpractice due to your plastic surgeon’s negligence, you want to have our law firm on your side. Not only do we have the experience handling these cases, but we have on-staff healthcare providers to assist with all of our medical malpractice cases. Call our office today at 248-557-1688 to schedule a free consultation.
What Is Plastic or Cosmetic Surgery?
Cosmetic or plastic surgery is a type of surgery that is done to change your appearance. Any plastic or cosmetic procedure is almost always an elective surgery so the patient can feel more confident in their skin. There are numerous cosmetic procedures to choose from that can be invasive or minimally invasive.
Most Common Types of Plastic Surgery
According to a report published by the American Society of Plastic Surgery, almost 18 million cosmetic procedures occur annually in the United States. Plastic surgery continues to grow yearly, and men are contributing to the rise. The most popular cosmetic surgeries are liposuctions, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, tummy tuck, and facelift.
Listed below are some of the other common cosmetic procedures:
- Breast reduction
- Breast lift with or without an implant
- Forehead lift
- Lip augmentation
- Botox injections
- Plumping/collagen injections
- Gynecomastia treatment removes excessive amounts of breast tissue and fat in men.
What Is Plastic Surgery Malpractice?
If your plastic surgery procedure failed or was otherwise unsuccessful, this could be considered malpractice if it resulted in injury or other medical conditions. Simply being unhappy with your cosmetic procedure results does not justify a medical malpractice case.
When Is Failed Plastic Surgery Considered Malpractice?
If you’ve suffered complications following your plastic surgery that resulted in your doctor’s and medical staff’s negligence, you could be entitled to a medical malpractice claim. Your physician’s negligence must have caused the results of your injuries.
Can You Sue a Plastic Surgeon for Botched Results?
You could pursue legal action if your cosmetic surgery were botched due to your physician’s negligence. Botched surgeries happen when a surgical or procedural error occurs.
Can I Still Sue if I Signed a Surgery Consent Form?
Before surgery, you will most likely sign a Consent Form that shows the patient understands the risks involved with the surgery. This does not mean you are consenting to medical malpractice. Just because you signed the Consent Form does not mean that you don’t have any legal rights regarding medical negligence.
Proving Liability in a Plastic Surgery Malpractice Case
Don’t let the forms you signed before surgery scare you into thinking you have no legal rights. If you’ve suffered from dramatic scarring, disfigurement, infection, paralysis, or any other serious complications post-surgery, you could be entitled to legal compensation. Medical malpractice laws can be very complicated, and cases can be challenging to prove. You can count on the Southfield medical malpractice attorneys at Lipton Law to evaluate your case in great detail before pursuing any legal action. With over 30 years of experience handling medical malpractice cases, you’re in good hands with our law firm.
How Common Is Cosmetic Surgery Malpractice?
While there is a possibility for negligence during any surgery, cosmetic surgery malpractice is less likely to end up in court. According to an article published by the National Library of Medicine, 93% of cosmetic surgery malpractice lawsuits settle outside of court, with only 7% going to trial. The most common medical malpractice claims from cosmetic surgery involve breast surgery, making up 40% of the claims.
Types of Plastic Surgery Malpractice
Every surgery involves some risk and can result in post-surgery injuries. If you have suffered one of the following complications from your cosmetic surgery procedure due to the negligence of your surgeon or medical staff, you could be entitled to compensation.
Nerve Damage
Nerve damage can happen when the nerves are stretched, cut, or cauterized during surgery. The area where you have cosmetic surgery will determine where you feel the effects of nerve damage. For example, if you have an eyelid lift, you may not be able to close your eyes. Other symptoms can be numbness, tingling, weakness, or even paralysis. This complication is usually temporary post-surgery but, in rare cases, can be permanent.
Anesthesia Complications
While anesthesia complications during cosmetic surgery rarely happen, when they do, they can potentially result in life-threatening injuries. Before surgery, the anesthesiologist should go over what is to be expected while you’re under anesthesia. Some patients may be more susceptible to allergic reactions to the anesthesia than others. Other complications you may experience from anesthesia include temporary confusion or memory loss, dizziness, nausea/ vomiting, bruising, and more. The more severe anesthesia injuries are lung infections, stroke, heart attacks, and even death.
Other Complications from Plastic Surgery
When undergoing any medical procedure, there is always a chance of suffering from complications. You trust that your cosmetic surgeon and medical team will take care of you while you are unconscious so that you can enjoy the results of your procedure.
Here are other complications you might experience from plastic surgery procedures:
- Hematoma is a pocket of blood built up in an area and often resembles a bruise. Anyone is at risk for developing a hematoma following surgery, but it is most common in facelift and breast augmentation patients. The blood can usually be drained from the site, but in rare instances, the patient will need to undergo additional surgery to remove the build-up of blood.
- Seroma is when fluid pools beneath the skin’s surface, causing swelling and pain. The fluid will need to be drained, but there is a risk of it returning. This complication is most common in patients that have tummy tucks.
- Blood loss is normal during surgery, but when it is uncontrolled, it can lead to plummeting blood pressure levels and sometimes death.
- Infections are the most common complications of plastic surgery. Even if you follow your post-op guidelines, infections can still occur. You will want to notify your healthcare provider as soon as you think you’ve developed an infection. The quicker it’s caught, the sooner you can begin antibiotics.
- Blood clots that form deep in veins are referred to as deep vein thrombosis and usually occur in the leg. When these clots travel to the lungs, this condition is known as pulmonary embolism. While blood clots are fairly uncommon in plastic surgery patients, they can have life-threatening complications.
- Organ damage is most common during liposuction procedures. If one of your organs has been perforated or punctured, it may require additional surgeries to repair. Some organ damage can be fatal.
- Scarring is typically expected after cosmetic surgery procedures. Hypertrophic or keloid scars can be especially troubling since the purpose of undergoing plastic surgery is to enhance your look.
Compensation in Plastic Surgery Malpractice Settlements
You might be entitled to a medical malpractice lawsuit if your surgeon’s negligence caused your injury. It’s essential to have a legal team with experience handling medical malpractice cases so that you can receive the maximum compensation for your injuries. You could receive compensation from a cosmetic surgery lawsuit, including pain and suffering, psychological harm, lost wages, and medical expenses. You could also be entitled to a medical malpractice wrongful death claim if you lost a loved one due to cosmetic surgery malpractice.
Contact a Plastic Surgery Malpractice Lawyer in Michigan
If you suffered injuries or complications following your cosmetic surgery procedure, you want the top medical malpractice attorneys on your side. At Lipton Law, you get a team of experienced medical malpractice attorneys and healthcare professionals who will evaluate your claims and help build a strong case. With over 30 years of experience in medical malpractice lawsuits, we will fight for you to receive proper compensation for your injuries. Call us today to schedule your free consultation at 248-557-1688.
Types of Medical Malpractice
Practice Areas
