No Win, No FeeRhinoplasty is the technical name for the procedure that many refer to as a nose job. It is a fairly common procedure that’s often carried out to alter the shape of the nose for cosmetic reasons. While many patients are happy with the outcome of their nose job, rhinoplasty surgery can go wrong. If you’ve suffered avoidable damage following a nose job, this guide about rhinoplasty compensation claims will explain when you might be entitled to claim damages.
Our team is here to help if you’ve any questions about claiming for a botched nose job. Firstly, they’ll review your claim with you as part of a free initial consultation, then they’ll offer legal advice about what to do next. If it appears you have grounds to make a claim, a medical negligence solicitor on our panel may agree to represent you. If they do, you won’t be asked to pay any legal fees upfront as you’ll be represented on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Please continue reading to find out more about rhinoplasty compensation claims or call us on 0800 652 1345 when you’re ready to discuss your options.
What is rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty is surgery that changes the shape of the nose. Usually, it’s a cosmetic procedure but the NHS does perform rhinoplasty surgery where it can improve the patient’s breathing.
Rhinoplasty can be performed to alter the skin, cartilage or bone that makes up the nose. Depending on the complexity of your nose job, either a local or general anaesthetic will be used.
Each rhinoplasty procedure is unique. Cartilage or bone may be removed, added or manipulated by the surgeon to achieve the required outcome.
Common risks associated with rhinoplasty
All types of surgery have some associated risks and rhinoplasty is no different. Some of the most common risks linked to rhinoplasty include:
- Infections – this is always a risk with any type of open wound.
- Excessive bleeding.
- Adverse reaction to the anaesthetic.
- Loss of sensation or numbness around the nose caused by nerve damage.
- Problems breathing through the nose.
- Septal perforation (a hole in the septum).
- Temporary or permanent scarring.
- A disjointed or uneven look to your nose.
- Long or short-term bruising and swelling around the nose.
Any of the problems highlighted above may require further surgery to rectify them. As part of your consultation, your surgeon should discuss any risks associated with your treatment and explain your options.
If you’ve had a nose job go wrong and believe you should be compensated, why not call our team today?
Can I claim compensation for rhinoplasty gone wrong?
If you are considering making a compensation claim for rhinoplasty gone wrong, you will have to show that:
- Your rhinoplasty was performed negligently by a medical professional, such as a surgeon or a hospital.
- You must have suffered some form of injury or harm as a direct result of the negligent rhinoplasty. This could include physical pain, scarring, deformity, or psychological trauma.
We believe that it’s always best to take on legal representation in cosmetic surgery claims. That’s because it can often be challenging to prove exactly what went wrong. If you are represented by a solicitor from our panel, they’ll ask an independent specialist to review your treatment.
If the specialist suggests that your treatment was appropriate and any injuries were unavoidable, your claim would usually not be able to continue. However, if the specialist can identify something they’d have done differently, you may have the grounds needed to pursue a rhinoplasty compensation claim.
Most rhinoplasty compensation claims are not made against the individual surgeon. Instead, cosmetic rhinoplasty claims are made against the clinic’s insurers and NHS rhinoplasty claims are made against NHS Resolution.
Common mistakes leading to rhinoplasty compensation claims
As set out above, you could be compensated for suffering caused by any mistakes (medical negligence) made during your rhinoplasty procedure. Some common examples of when this might be the case include:
- If your medical history was not reviewed prior to treatment.
- Where your surgeon failed to explain the known risks of rhinoplasty surgery.
- If you were told your nose job would achieve results that simply weren’t possible.
- Where alternative procedures or treatments were not explained or considered.
- If the surgeon used the wrong equipment or followed the wrong procedures.
- Where a lack of basic hygiene standards led to an infection.
- If you suffered a lot of pain during surgery because of an anaesthetic error.
- Where poor aftercare advice was given.
Even if we’ve not explained the types of negligence that have caused you to suffer, we could still help you to claim compensation. Let us know what happened and we’ll review your options for free.
I signed a rhinoplasty consent form, can I still claim?
Many potential claimants believe that compensation is not possible because they signed a consent form (or waiver) before treatment. However, that’s not the case and you could still be compensated.
A consent form is simply a way to show that you were happy for your treatment to proceed and that you knew what was going to happen to you. It does not prevent you from suing for suffering caused by negligence.
As part of our free consultation, we’ll review your consent form and check its wording so please have it nearby when you call.
How much compensation will I get for rhinoplasty gone wrong?
It’s important that you don’t think of compensation as a type of fine or penalty that a cosmetic surgeon needs to pay to close your claim. Instead, any settlement that’s offered will be based on the physical, mental and financial implications of your treatment.
As such, if you make a successful rhinoplasty compensation claim, it could cover:
- Your physical injuries and any associated pain or discomfort.
- Embarrassment, depression and other forms of psychological harm.
- Loss of amenity i.e. any negative impact your injuries have on your normal activities (social life, family life, hobbies etc).
- Travel costs.
- Care costs.
- Medical expenses including private remedial treatment.
- Loss of income and future lost earnings.
To try and ensure that you are fully compensated following a nose job gone wrong, your solicitor will review everything in fine detail with you before your claim is filed.
Providing proof for a rhinoplasty negligence claim
As part of their role, your solicitor will try to provide clear evidence about why you should be compensated following a botched nose job. This will need to show the negligence that caused your injuries and how you have suffered as a result.
The types of proof that might be helpful in rhinoplasty compensation claims include:
- Before and after photographs. This is one of the best ways of demonstrating the impact of a negligent nose job. You should therefore take regular photographs throughout your recovery.
- Medical records. Your solicitor will request copies of any medical records and x-rays to help prove the extent of your injuries.
- Correspondence. If you complained about the outcome of your nose job, any letters or emails that you received could be used as proof. The same is true for any communication you received before treatment.
- Financial documents. To help recover any costs incurred as a result of the rhinoplasty procedure, you should hold onto any relevant bank statements, wage slips and receipts.
- Witness statements. You will be asked to document the impact of your injuries in a statement as part of the claims process. Friends or family may also be asked to explain how you’ve suffered.
You don’t need to have collected all of the proof listed above to start the claims process. That’s because, if your claim is taken on, your solicitor will try to secure anything else that’s needed. So, please feel free to get in touch to discuss your options.
How will my solicitor know how the botched rhinoplasty has affected me?
A large part of any compensation awarded in rhinoplasty claims is based on the severity of your injuries. As such, these will need to be verified independently. So, during your claim, your solicitor will book an appointment with a specialist. During your meeting, they’ll examine any injuries and chat with you about the impact they’ve had on you.
A report will follow the medical assessment which will provide details of your injuries and your prognosis. Your solicitor will then use that report to help calculate how much rhinoplasty compensation you might be entitled to claim.
Will I need to go to court?
In our experience, very few rhinoplasty claims need to be heard in court. Generally, both parties will try to avoid court hearings as they can be expensive and timely. As such, claims are usually settled amicably one way or another.
The only times a nose job claim might end up in court is if the defendant won’t accept liability or if the settlement amount offered is thought to be too low.
No Win, No Fee claims
The thought of taking on a cosmetic surgeon’s insurance company can be daunting – especially when you consider the cost of taking on a specialist solicitor. However, that’s not something you’ll need to be too concerned about if your rhinoplasty compensation claim is accepted by a medical negligence solicitor from our panel. That’s because they operate on a No Win, No Fee basis meaning that:
- Legal fees don’t need to be paid upfront.
- There are no legal fees to pay whatsoever if the claim fails.
- You will only need to pay the solicitor’s success fee if you receive a compensation payment.
At the start of your claim, you’ll receive a legal contract which will explain the fee you’ll pay. Legally, this is capped at 25% of any compensation you’re awarded.
Once the agreement is signed, your solicitor can begin working on your claim. That means that their main goals will be to:
- Collect proof to back up your rhinoplasty compensation claim.
- Arrange for a medical report about your injuries.
- File the claim with the clinic or hospital that performed the rhinoplasty.
- Deal with all negotiations on your behalf to prevent you from facing complex questions.
- Ensure that you are kept up to date with any progress.
- Review any settlement offers with you to check that they are fair and cover all of your suffering.
Call today for a consultation and we’ll let you know if you can claim rhinoplasty compensation on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Rhinoplasty compensation claims time limits
You may already know that cosmetic surgery negligence claims have a 3-year time limit in the UK. For rhinoplasty claims, the limitation period will generally start from the date you found out that something had gone wrong. This is likely to be when your bandages were removed.
Your solicitor will need some time to collect the proof needed to substantiate your allegations so it’s worth starting the process sooner rather than later. Also, if your injuries have led to a reduced income, care costs or unexpected medical expenses, you might be entitled to interim payments before the claims process has been finalised.
Nose job claims can sometimes be settled in around 6 months or so if liability for your suffering is accepted early on. Where further negotiation or investigation is needed, the process can sometimes take more than a year.
Start a rhinoplasty compensation claim today
If you call us on 0800 652 1345 today, one of our specially trained advisors will review your options with you during a no-obligation consultation. Free legal advice will be provided and any questions you might have will be answered.
If your claim is strong enough and accepted by a medical negligence solicitor from our panel, you’ll case will be managed on a No Win, No Fee basis. Knowing that you’ll have specialist legal representation without paying legal fees upfront should make the claims process a lot less stressful.
If there’s anything else you’d like to know about rhinoplasty compensation claims, please get in touch via our live chat service.
