A group of Canadian and Quebec lawyers has received approval to move forward with a class action lawsuit against breast implant manufacturer Allergan. The lawsuit alleges that Allergan’s textured breast implants are linked to several types of cancer.
The lead plaintiff is Karen, a mother from Montreal. In 2019, she was shocked to discover a shadow on her mammogram. Doctors feared it was a mass in her chest. Just under three years after receiving Allergan textured implants, doctors urged her to have them removed.
“I was depressed because this is something I did to myself,” Karen said in an interview. “It was something I’d always wanted. I cried a lot. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to be with my kids.”
Karen is one of many Canadian women who say they have suffered serious health problems from the implants. A 2019 Health Canada safety review found that 85% of confirmed breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) cases in the country were linked to Allergan’s Biocell textured implants. The review concluded that the risk of developing this rare cancer is much higher with Allergan’s implants than with other types.
Karen said she first became aware of the issue when one of her breasts became deformed in 2019. She had been told by her surgeon in 2017—before the surgery—that there was no cancer risk. The surgery was performed at a private clinic in Westmount. Karen said she paid $9,000 for the implants and another $10,000 for their removal.
The class action, Kibalian et al. v. Allergan PLC et al., is seeking damages for Canadians who received Allergan textured implants between May 31, 1999, and May 29, 2019. Anyone who had these implants during that time period is automatically included as a class member.
In addition to cancer, the lawsuit claims the implants have caused premature rupture and breast implant illness, a condition with a variety of symptoms believed to be related to the body’s reaction to implants.
The legal team includes Montreal-based lawyers Joey Zukran of LPC Avocat Inc. and Joel Banon of Tiger Banon Inc., Vincent Genova of Rochon Genova in Toronto, and Anthony Leoni of Rice Harbut Elliott LLP in Vancouver.
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