A claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 for reasonable...
Compensation has been obtained for a woman after a dermatologist removed the wrong facial mole.
The woman's GP had referred her to an in-house dermatologist after identifying a suspicious mole on her nose. The dermatologist concluded that the mole could possibly become malignant and should be removed. However, a different mole, near the tip of her nose, was removed by mistake.
The woman complained to the practice. The dermatologist maintained that the mole that had been removed was also capable of becoming malignant. However, hospital tests showed that it had been harmless and would have been highly unlikely to become a problem in the future.
After she commenced a claim against the practice, an initial settlement offer of £4,000 was rejected. A report was obtained from a plastic surgeon which indicated that the procedure was likely to have left her with permanent scarring.
Following extensive negotiations, a settlement of £25,000 was agreed.