Woman who suffered scars to face and armpits following laser treatment awarded €16,000 damages

A woman who suffered what were described by a judge as terrible scars to her face and armpits following a laser treatment, has been awarded damages of €16,000 in the Circuit Civil Court.

Judge James McCourt told barrister Conor Kearney, counsel for 44-year-old Ia Iakobidze that it was fortunate her injuries were short lived and she had been able to return to work after a month.

Mr Kearney, who appeared with Chris Horrigan of Blake Horrigan Solicitors, told the court Ms Iakobidze, of Smithfield Gate, North King Street, Dublin 7, had more than a dozen previous treatments for the removal of hairs by the same beauty salon without incident.

Ms Iakobidz sued Sensius Jervis and Sensius Ireland Limited, of The Grange, Brewery Road, Stillorgan, Dublin, for €60,000 damages for personal injuries. She said she had attended the defendant’s hair removal laser clinic at Jervis Street Shopping Centre in the heart of Dublin.

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The court heard this involved multiple focal treatments on her lower face and axillae. Shortly afterwards she noticed a burning and redness in the areas treated and developed blistering.

Judge McCourt said it was Ms Iakobidze’s case that the setting of the laser had been gauged at an inappropriate level. He rejected defence suggestions that Ms Iakobidze’s injuries may have been due to medication she had been on at the time or that she may have exposed herself to sunshine prior to her August 2020 treatment.

“Why would she have suffered burns under her arms as has been shown to the court in photographic evidence if sunshine was to blame,” Judge McCourt said.

He said it was clear to him that it would inevitably be difficult to avoid the inference that an inappropriate setting on the laser machine had resulted in Ms Iakobidze’s terrible, albeit temporary, scarring.

Awarding her €16,000 compensation Judge McCourt said he accepted she had also suffered from anxiety and depression as a result of her injuries.