Women facing difficulty suing foreign company over faulty implants

Women fitted with faulty breast implants are having difficulty serving breach of contract and damages claims on a foreign-based parent company of the Irish clinic that carried out the surgery.

Judge Jacqueline Linnane was told in the Circuit Civil Court that a proposed defendant, Harley Medical Group (Ireland) Limited, may be only an Irish registered branch of the company which allegedly had its headquarters in the British Virgin Islands.

Robert McGarr, counsel for Susan Newman, of Duffsland, Commons Road, Navan, Co Meath, asked the court to renew two Civil Bills and grant leave to serve the proceedings outside the jurisdiction in relation to the British Virgin Islands.