The Florida Legislature finally recognized the problem of clinics and doctors performing Brazilian butt lifts without liability insurance. This meant that as a practical matter, it would be nearly impossible to collect for damages in the event of injuries resulting from substandard treatment.
Now, going forward, doctors performing this procedure must carry professional liability coverage of at least $250,000.00 per claim and at least $750,000 annually.
Office surgery centers in which one or more physicians perform the procedure must maintain the same level of coverage. This way, the surgery center can’t avoid liability by blaming the doctor as an independent contractor for whose actions the surgery center is not responsible.
This is good news as it stands to create financial responsibility on the part of surgery centers and doctors who perform these procedures. But it is doubtful that these good reforms will eliminate the many unlicensed, uninsured, substandard unregistered operators performing butt lifts on the cheap. Their presence on the landscape continues to make Miami a medical tourist destination for bargain hunting women willing to sacrifice quality for economy. And when they wind up scarred for life, the best lawyer in town can’t help them because the other side is uncollectible.
