Silicone Gel Breast Implant Litigation
Channel 7 News
March 18, 1994
16:50 - 18:56
Kathy Brock: Thousands of women who claim that breast implants have made them sick may soon be compensated for their problems. Lawyers for 12,000 women have sued have now come to an greement with manufacturers. A proposed four billion dollars settlement package that effects any woman who has ever had an implant.
Silicone leaking from breast implant like these have been blamed for physical problems ranging from hair loss to depression. Barb started noticing radical changes in her body after implant surgery back in 1987.
Barb: Well about a year after I had the implants put in I started noticing an almost constant flu like feeling, very tired all the time, a difficult breathing problem, I can't take a deep breath it feels like the breath just stops in the middle of your chest.
K. Brock: Despite her problems Barb has not been able to afford to have the implants removed, that will change if the settlement is finalized next week.
Kennneth B. Moll: The immediate benefit of this class action is that there will be an emergency funding for women who want to have their implants taken out now.
K. Brock: In addition to the implant removal program, there will also be money for women who want to have their implants checked by a doctor. There will be funds for dealing with ruptured implants, and money for women who have the implant, but no apparent physical problem right now.
Attorneys say that the potential compensation for women who can prove that implants have caused them problems in between $200,000 and $2 million.
Laura Tufano (Implant recipient): It makes me feel really good to know that they finally realize that us women are having a lot of problems and it's really, you know, to our benefit that they are going to be removed and that they realize that they made a big mistake.
K. Brock: Now a nation wide hotline could be established as early as next week to outline all the terms of the settlement. Every woman who has ever had a silicone breast implant is affected and is advised to call that number although the number has not yet been established. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ordered a moratorium on silicone implants back in 1992.