French Court Gives Hope to PIP Breast Implant Victims in Devon and Somerset
2021 update: For the latest news on our fight for justice for victims of the PIP breast implant scandal please follow this link.
Devon and Somerset breast implant lawyer, Oliver Thorne, was in Paris to hear the verdict of the highest court in France on the PIP faulty breast implant scandal.
Oliver, who is a partner with Slee Blackwell Solicitors in Barnstaple, was delighted when he received news of the court’s decision to overturn an earlier ruling which seemed to close the door on the possibility of PIP victims worldwide receiving compensation.
The French court’s judgement means that hundreds of women in the UK who Oliver is representing will be now be able to pursue their claims for compensation. Oliver not only acts for local women in Devon and Somerset who have been victims of the scandal, but represents women nationwide.
Importantly the decision also creates an opportunity for other British women – who thought they had missed out on the chance to recover damages – to now make a claim.
The PIP scandal originally made the news when the manufacturer of the implants, a French company called Poly Implant Prothese, went bankrupt. This prevented thousands of women who had been fitted with the faulty implants from seeking compensation.
The struggle for justice therefore turned to TUV Rheinland, a German products-testing company. Oliver and his legal counterparts in PIPA (PIP Implant World Victims Association) have been pursuing a case in the French courts on the basis that the implants should never have been certified.
Yesterday’s key ruling has therefore been greeted by PIP victims all over the world. Oliver, who was the sole UK representative at the PIPA press conference in Paris, is relishing the next round of the battle to ensure his clients finally receive the justice they deserve.
Commenting on the verdict on his way back to Devon today, Oliver stated:
“This is excellent news. So many women had given up any hope of recovering compensation. I am expecting many more PIP victims to now come forward, both here in Devon and Somerset and right across Britain.
I run a free PIP helpline and any victim who want to know where they stand can give me a call on 01271 372128 or email me at [email protected]
We offer free initial gudance and can fund PIP compensation claims on a no win, no fee basis.”