French court orders damages for victims of breast implant scandal

A Paris Appeal Court on Thursday convicted a German breast transplant firm, TUV Rheinland for awarding safety certificates to thousands of victims of defective breast implants manufactured in France.
The case was brought by 2,700 women who said they suffered long-term physical and mental health problems after receiving the implants filled with cheap, industrial-grade silicone not cleared for human use.

Delivering judgment in the case, the court held that the German firm must pay damages to the victims over its negligence in awarding them safety certificates.
“After 10 years of waiting and fierce combat, the German certifier will have to fully compensate the victims,” it said.
The timing and amount of compensation is still to be determined, according to the Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) Implant World Victims Association (PIPA).

“We are delighted with this outcome which definitively puts an end to the doubts about TUV’s responsibility,” said lawyer Olivier Aumaitre, who represented the women.
A spokesman for TUV Rheinland declined immediate comment on the judgment, saying the company first wanted to receive a translation and to study it.

The ruling could have implications for tens of thousands more victims from dozens of countries, from Britain to Latin America.
In a statement, PIPA said damages amounting to tens of thousands of euros for each victim were being sought. A first ruling on compensation was expected in September.
The founder of PIP, Jean-Claude Mas, was jailed for four years and fined 75,000 euros ($82,522.50) in 2013.