Compo deadline for PIP breast implant victims

Irish victims of the PIP breast implants scandal have until March 20 next to make a claim for compensation.

Around 800 women affected here have come forward to be included in a major class action before the French courts.

The French manufacturer of the sub-standard implants — Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) — went out of business in 2009. However, women can sue the German certification company TUV, which declared that the implants were safe.

Stanton Fisher, which has offices in Dublin are dealing with all worldwide claims, are urging victims to come forward before the deadline at the end of March, by which time it is estimated that between 15,000 and 20,000 cases will have been presented to the court in Toulon in France.

The landmark legal action is believed to be the first of its type in France and one of the largest in Europe.

Lawyers from the Stanton Fisher Group believe that many thousands of affected women are yet to come forward ahead of the March 20, deadline. To date, more than 800 women in Ireland have made claims.

Legal manager with Stanton Fisher Steven Hulme said any woman with PIP implants can be part of the claim. “There is a common misconception that only those women who have experienced issues with their implants can come forward to make a claim,” he said.

“This simply isn’t true. Every woman who has received PIP breast implants can come forward and join our drive to achieve justice.”

It emerged in 2010 that Poly Implant Prothése (PIP), a French firm which developed breast implants, was using industrial grade silicone (rather than medical grade silicone), prone to rupturing, in their breast implants product.

Once ruptured, the silicone gel can lead to considerable pain, irritation, and discomfort. This led to a global crackdown with many health authorities choosing to offer removal of the implants to victims.