JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville attorneys have filed suit on behalf of several plastic surgery patients against one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world: Allergan.
Local plastic surgeons Loren and Mark Clayman have already been sued over breast augmentations by 193 of their patients.
The lawsuits accuse the doctors of medical negligence.
"I can't stand to look at myself in the mirror. He basically mutilated me for nothing,” former patient Yolanda Hannan said.
But now the Terrell Hogan law firm also accuses Allergan, the manufacturer of the implants, of aiding and abetting the Claymans in fraud.
Attorney Chris Shakib said that each time one of his clients complained of problems, their doctors said the same thing.
“One of your saline implants has deflated and don't worry, I can fix it, and it won't cost you anything, because it's covered by the manufacturer Allergan's warranty,” Shakib said.
Shakib said the Claymans made 5,516 warranty claims to Allergan for the Naturelle Saline implants in a 15-year period, totaling $8.96 million in reimbursements from Allergan.
The lawsuits claim, among other things, that based on its own research, Allergan should have known it was statistically impossible for so many implants to deflate.
The suits say Allergan should have stopped selling to the Claymans and gone to the authorities.
The Claymans' attorney released a statement about the claims:
The Claymans have consulted with their advisers and know that they have performed with the highest professional and ethical.standards.”
To date, 16 suits have been filed on behalf of patients.
A spokesperson for Allergan said the company does not comment on ongoing litigation.