Victim of botched laser treatment gives up compensation fight
A MOUNT Eliza woman whose face was left swollen and dripping in blood after a laser treatment has been forced to drop her 18-month battle for damages.
South East
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A MOUNT ELIZA woman is walking away from her fight for compensation over a laser treatment that left her face bloodied and swollen.
Niki Richardson said she had been advised by her lawyers that her case was not viable because the therapist she was pursuing for damages was not insured.
“I’ve also been told that because my injuries didn’t result in permanent damage, I didn’t have a case,” she said.
“It’s disappointing and frustrating but I think I have exhausted every avenue.”
Ms Richardson attended a Mornington clinic – which is no longer operating in Victoria – on February 12 last year to discuss facial scarring from allergies.
She returned on February 28 for erbium laser treatment.
Ms Richardson said the treatment left her dripping in blood and in excruciating pain. She told the Leader in May last year she “nearly died” when she saw herself in the mirror.
“I thought ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’,” she said.
When she spoke to the Leader last week, she said her skin had improved but was still “sensitive”.
In addition to attempting legal action, Ms Richardson started a petition seeking changes to legislation to prevent unqualified people from performing laser surgery.
The change.org petition asked the Health Complaints Commissioner to stop unqualified people from performing laser surgery.
“People are being severely burnt, which is causing extreme pain, high-grade infections and rendering them permanently scarred, physically and emotionally,” the petition stated.
The petition garnered 1609 signatures and was sent to the commissioner.
Ms Richardson said the commissioner was yet to act.
“I just want the laws in place to protect people; it was never about money,” she said.
Slater and Gordon senior medical negligence lawyer Lee Kimonides recommended people attended a clinic that was “appropriately insured and uses approved machines”, and “where there is oversight of a medical practitioner to ensure appropriate treatment is received if an adverse event should occur”.
“For an injured person to take legal action seeking pain and suffering damages, they must have suffered a permanent impairment that meets predetermined criteria,” Ms Kimonides said.
