Dr Daniel Darbyshire, a defendant in celebrity cosmetic surgeon Daniel Lanzer class action, dies
One of the defendants in the class action involving controversial celebrity cosmetic surgeon Daniel Lanzer, has died.
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Exclusive: A Melbourne cosmetic surgeon who was one of the associated defendants in the Daniel Lanzer class action lawsuit has died unexpectedly.
Dr Daniel Darbyshire, who worked briefly for Dr Lanzer, died aged 31, last month.
His funeral was on August 7.
He joined one of the controversial celebrity doctor’s clinics in 2021 and was listed as one of the defendants in the class action case filed in the Victorian Supreme Court 18 months ago.
Dr Darbyshire was also due to stand trial on a criminal charge, completely independent from the class action.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency had suspended Darbyshire over the criminal charge.
It was alleged Dr Darbyshire attacked a 66-year-old man in the street, kicking and stomping on his head.
Dr Darbyshire had previously pleaded not guilty to intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence in Melbourne Magistrates Court.
Dr Lanzer was not involved in any way with that criminal charge.
So far nearly 1000 people have joined the class action being run by Maddens Lawyers, with many alleging cosmetic procedures left them in extreme pain and with ongoing physical and psychological issues.
Other named defendants listed include high profile TikTok star Dr Daniel Aronov and his wife and psychologist Candice Wainstein, Dr Ryan Wells, Dr Alireza Fallahi and Dr George Wong, as well as Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery Services (DCSS) clinics based in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
The group proceeding summary indicates that the doctors named in it are being pursued for surgeries they performed.
Ms Weinstein, according to the judgment, is different from the other defendants in that she is being pursued in negligence relating to psychological assessments.
A court summary statement alleges that” DCSS and/or the defendant doctors performed cosmetic surgeries that were not fit for purpose, failed to undertake cosmetic surgeries with due care and skill and that the surgeries were undertaken in a negligent manner”.
Maddens Lawyers is seeking “compensation for pain and suffering, compensation for
consequential losses such as expenses associated with after-care, rectification surgery or
loss of income as well as interest and legal costs”.
No defence has been filed at this stage.
Class Action Principal, Kathryn Emeny, said four “brave” plaintiffs were leading the group.
“Their circumstances, in some ways, are reflective of the issues that have been experienced by the participants as a whole,” Ms Emeny said.
She said among the alleged issues were scarring, deformities associated with uneven liposuction, numbness, issues around ongoing pain in areas and restriction of movement.
She added patients were also claiming psychological trauma.
Among the class action are around a dozen children, most underwent ear pinning procedures.
Dr Lanzer, who boasted of undertaking more than 20,000 liposuctions during his 25-year-long career, starred in his own reality TV series called the Cosmetic Surgery Show on Channel 7.
He also became a social media sensation for his videos of patients undergoing surgical procedures.
At one point he had 5.3 million followers on TikTok and 300,000 on Instagram.
Michael Fraser who works for Advocacy firm Operation Redress and who was involved in helping patients allegedly harmed by the cosmetic industry said it was so important patients allegedly harmed by the Lanzer practice found a way to be heard through a class action.
“We hope the medical regulator continues to investigate and that all the doctors alleged to have done these acts are held accountable by the Medical Board,” Mr Fraser said.
Mr Fraser is involved in a new podcast called Surgery Secrets - Beauty’s Dark Side starting in September.
Maddens Lawyers refused to comment on the death of Dr Darbyshire.
For help with emotional difficulties, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au
For help with depression, contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 or at www.beyondblue.org.au
The SANE Helpline is 1800 18 SANE (7263) or at www.sane.org
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