Thousands of victims of defective breast implants manufactured in France should receive compensation, a Paris appeals court ruled today after deciding that German firm TUV Rheinland was negligent in awarding safety certificates.
The case was brought by 2,700 women who said they suffered long-term physical and mental health problems after receiving the implants filled with cheap, industrial-grade silicone not cleared for human use.
"We are delighted with this outcome which definitively puts an end to the doubts about TUV's responsibility," said lawyer Olivier Aumaitre who represented the women.
"After 10 years of waiting and fierce combat, the German certifier will have to fully compensate the victims."
A spokesman for TUV Rheinland declined immediate comment on the judgment, saying the company first wanted first to receivea translation and to study it.
The ruling could have implications for tens of thousands more victims from dozens of countries, from Britain to Latin America.
The timing and amount of compensation is still to be determined, according to the PIP Implant World Victims Association (PIPA).
In a statement, PIPA said damages amounting to tens of thousands of euros for each victim were being sought. A first ruling on compensation was expected in September.
The founder of PIP (Poly Implant Prothese), Jean-Claude Mas, was jailed for four years and fined €75,000 in 2013.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Sheena Ruddy, from Rostrevor in county Down got PIP implants at the age of 22.
She told RTÉ News that initially she was overwhelmed with the results as she "wanted them for years" .
But not long after the procedure Ms Ruddy said she started getting sick all the time, aches and pains and very bad anxiety.
Ms Ruddy said her mental health improved when she had the implants removed.
"It got worse when we found out that they were industrial grade filler. When you hear that and and how dangerous it was and how more likely there were to rupture it was scary. I had no where to turn to, I was left high and dry," Ms Ruddy said.
Ms Ruddy said she did not have the money to get the implants out straight away.
"I had to save, it took years to do that. I did not feel well during that time. It was horrible as people back then ...there was more of a stigma around breast implants and not a lot of sympathy. 'Oh well, she choose to do that or she's vain'. There was not a lot of sympathy or understanding around it. It was hard," Ms Ruddy said.
Ms Ruddy said she is relieved that there was a win in court today.
"It's took a long time which is frustrating. I was lucky as I didn't have a any ruptures but I have friends who still have lumps of silicone still in their breast tissue. But it was like a ticking timebomb inside you," she said.
David Coleman, Coleman Legal in Dublin said the initial number of Irish women affected by PIP implants who came forward to lodge claims is about 700 but he said it is understood that there are about 10,000 women here that received implants that will be entitled to compensation due to this ruling.
"The injuries that were caused as a result of what happened were shocking, many people have had their lives destroyed as a result of the silicone implants," Mr Coleman said.
