Compensation for Faulty Ear Piercing Awarded to Girl

by | Nov 28, 2012

An 11-year-old girl, who required plastic surgery to repair vertical splits in her ears due to the negligence of a beauty salon, has had an award of compensation for faulty ear piercing approved in court.

Nicole Smyth was just six years of age when she attended the Claires Accessories beauty salon in the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, County Dublin, in April 2007 to have both her ears pierced. A month after the procedure, the holes in both her ear lobes had elongated and eventually the stud in her right ear fell through a vertical split in her ear lobe.

Nicole, who lives close to the Liffey Valley Shopping centre, went with her mother – Saraqh – to the Swiftcare Clinic in Dundrum, where she was referred to Our Lady´s Hospital, Crumlin. At Our Lady´s she was placed under a general anaesthetic and had both ears repaired by plastic surgery. As a result of the trauma to her ear, Nicole has been left with a small scar.

After doctors determined that the reason for the ear lobe splitting was because the piercing had been performed too low on the ear, Nicole´s mother made a claim for faulty ear piercing against Claires Accessories – claiming that their negligence had resulted in Nicole´s injury and subsequent distress causing her to now cover her ear with her hair.

At the Circuit Civil Court in Dublin, Judge Matthew Deery heard that Claires Accessories admitted their liability for Nicole´s injury and had made an offer of compensation for faulty ear piercing amounting to €22,000 which the family were prepared to accept. Judge Matthew Deery approved the award, stating that it was a very good settlement considering the circumstances.

Need Help?

If you have any legal questions arising from an injury then please call us now on our 24-Hour helpline on 1800-989 900

This is a free-to-call line to book a call with a Coleman Legal solicitor. There are no charges or obligations for using this service and you will NOT be pressured into making a claim or using our services. We always respect your privacy and comply with GDPR regulations.