There’s no doubt about it, South Florida is obsessed with beauty, and is a top U.S. destination for cheap plastic surgery. This has led to a growing number of clinicians to exploit patients by luring them in by the promise of a sleeker silhouette at a lower cost than other providers offer. Some blatantly lie about their credentials in an effort to bamboozle patients who don’t realize their offers are too good to be true.

The unfortunate reality is, these doctors don’t just over promise and under deliver, they also put more value on turning a profit than patient safety. Over the past decade, dozens of patients have suffered the consequences of botched operations, and some have paid the ultimate price. To date, 13 women on record have died after undergoing cosmetic procedures at these low-cost, high-volume clinics.

Florida Is Cracking Down on Unlicensed Doctors and Shady Practices

Competition to turn a profit is immense in virtually any business field, and that includes healthcare providers. Despite their oath to “do no harm,” physicians need to turn a profit to keep their clinics open, and that has led many to offer lower cost services in order fill the books with unsuspecting patients who aren’t aware their surgeon doesn’t care about their results or their safety, only making a quick buck. This isn’t an isolated case, either – it has become an epidemic throughout Florida and the nation as a whole.

Unfortunately, many prospective customers in the market for cosmetic procedures are lured in by the lower prices offered by these clinics, many undergoing cosmetic surgery from these unscrupulous medical practitioners, some of whom are not even licensed to practice medicine. Many more men and women have had to be hospitalized for critical injuries stemming from botched operations, including punctured organs. The national media has taken notice, and the public has demanded these clinicians be held accountable.

New Florida Law to Sanction Clinicians Who Shirk Their Responsibility for Safe Practices

Florida Senator Anitere Flores sponsored a bill that became law in May 2019, giving the state the power to close clinics if there is confirmation these facilities are dangerous to their patients.

“Right now we ask patients to do homework before they go in and get a surgery like this done. But because we haven’t had these laws in place, it was really difficult for them to figure out where the problematic clinics were,” Flores said. “So now we’ll have a uniform, very high standard, that all clinics across the state will be held to, and so you won’t have that fear that has existed previously.”

Under new Florida law, clinics will face a $500 fine per day for non-compliance, and unlicensed clinics or those not up to standards will be sanctioned. Doctors and clinics must be registered with the Florida Department of Health, and any physician found guilty of malpractice will not be able to work for at least 5 years.

Before these lawmakers acted, the clinics were allowed to continue practicing even with dozens of patient complaints. Until lawmakers acted, officials lacked the power to shut down the clinics, some of the worst of which were run by felons. But even when lawmakers imposed tougher rules on cosmetic procedures, they cut out requirements that clinic operators get criminal background checks to be licensed.

Were You Harmed by a Florida Cosmetic Surgeon? We Will Help You Seek Justice.

At Somera & Silva, LLP, our medical malpractice attorneys aim to hold clinicians accountable for their actions. If you were injured in a botched operation, we will analyze your case to help determine whether you were the victim of medical malpractice.

We have a physician on staff, and our co-found attorney is a licensed medical doctor, so we are uniquely positioned to help, and fully committed to seek justice on behalf of our clients so they can move forward with their lives and the financial compensation they deserve.

Contact us at Somera & Silva, LLP today for a free consultation with our medical malpractice lawyers. We have offices throughout South Florida to help you.