Woman who suffered burns after botched laser treatment gets Dh170,000 in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: A Dh170,000 compensation has been awarded to an Abu Dhabi woman who suffered permanent burns following laser treatment.

The Abu Dhabi Civil Court of Appeals, which upheld the verdict of a lower court, said the compensation must be paid by the medical centre, a doctor, a nurse and an insurance company.

According to case details, the Arab patient had filed a criminal lawsuit claiming physical and psychological damages against a dermatology and cosmetic centre. She had demanded Dh2 million in compensation, claiming that she had requested laser treatment for the removal of abdominal fat, but that the treatment had resulted in permanent damage.

According to the patient, she had had no complications from the first treatment session she had received at the medical centre. However, she experienced severe pain during the second session, and informed the nurse who was operating the equipment. She also found burns on her skin in the abdominal area after the laser treatment.

The patient said she had been prescribed ointments by the doctor, and had been told that the burns would resolve, but her condition worsened. When her pain increased, the patient attempted to contact the doctor, but she claimed that the doctor did not respond, forcing her to visit the hospital.

She was then diagnosed with first and second-degree burns, and had to subsequently undergo a surgery to remove the dead skin in the abdominal area, which resulted in a five per cent permanent skin disfigurement.

The patient filed a criminal suit against the doctor, and the lower court ordered the doctor to pay a fine of Dh100,000 for medical negligence. It also urged the plaintiff to file a civil case.

The Abu Dhabi Civil Court of First Instance then ordered that that the patient be awarded Dh170,000 for the damages she had suffered, and the Abu Dhabi Civil Court of Appeals upheld the decision.