- Victorian Supreme Court mediation begins this week in the Dr Lanzer Class Action, involving allegations of negligent practices and misleading conduct in cosmetic surgery
- Dr Daniel Lanzer stopped practising and left Australia in 2021, while Dr Aronov and Dr Wells are banned from performing cosmetic surgeries but continue to practice medicine
- The class action represents over 3,000 patients who claim to have suffered injuries, scarring, deformities and pain, with many procedures allegedly performed under inadequate anaesthesia
- Maddens Lawyers is seeking millions in compensation for breaches of contract, Australian Consumer Law and medical negligence
- If mediation is unsuccessful, the case will proceed to trial in September 2023
Mediation is set to commence this week in the Dr Lanzer Class Action.
A Victorian Supreme Court mediation will kick off in the Dr Lanzer Class Action on Thursday and Friday this week marking a significant step forward in one of Australia’s largest cosmetic‑surgery negligence cases.
The class action alleges that Dr Daniel Lanzer and his colleagues, including Dr Daniel Aronov and Dr Ryan Wells, engaged in misleading and negligent practices while performing cosmetic surgeries.
Dr Lanzer was marketed as ‘Australia’s leading cosmetic surgeon’ before a fall from grace in late 2021 following explosive allegations of negligent practices and predatory sales tactics at his clinics across Australia. Shortly after the allegations came to light Dr Lanzer agreed with the medical regulator to stop practicing and left the country.
His colleague, Dr Aronov, gained notoriety as one of the world’s most famous celebrity doctors with close to 13million Tik Tok followers at his peak. He was directed by the medical regulator to remove his social media content in late 2021 following concerns about graphic material, patient safety and content which trivialised surgical procedures.
Both Dr Aronov and Dr Wells continue to practice medicine in Australia but are subject to ongoing regulatory investigations and have been banned from performing all cosmetic surgeries.
Maddens Lawyers Principal, Kathryn Emeny, who is leading the class action, said this week’s mediation was set to be a major milestone in the case. The firm is representing four lead plaintiffs and more than 3,000 prior patients of the Lanzer Clinics who have been left with catastrophic injuries, scarring, deformities and ongoing pain.
Ms Emeny said one of the worst things she has heard is patients having undergone procedures without appropriate anaesthesia.
“Over and over again people are recounting horrific experiences about undertaking major surgery such as a tummy tuck, ‘mega’ liposuction or a breast reduction under local anaesthetic. People have been on an operating table, alert, vulnerable and in excruciating pain. They have been left scarred, not just physically but also mentally from what they have been through”, she said.
The class action is seeking millions of dollars in compensation for breaches of contract, breaches of the Australia Consumer Law and medical negligence.
The mediation provides an opportunity for the parties to reach an out of Court settlement or resolution of the case. If mediation is unsuccessful the case will proceed to trial in September of this year.
Ms Emeny said the mediation would provide an important chance to hold each of the doctors to account for widespread failures in how patients were treated.
Maddens Lawyers had been flooded with registrations from prior patients of the Lanzer Clinics. Registrations were being received from people of all ages and walks of life.
Prior patients of the Lanzer Clinics can register their interest in the class action online via the Maddens Lawyers website at https://maddenslawyers.com.au/class-actions/dr-lanzer-class-action/. Registration is confidential and commitment free.
The Dr Lanzer Class Action is Maddens Lawyers’ 23rd class action and one of the largest. It establishes Maddens Lawyers as a leading law firm in the cosmetic and medical negligence space, and highlights their decades of experience supporting patients who have suffered from below standard medical care.
Contact details:
Kathryn Enemy (Principal Lawyer) - 03 5560 2000
Tori Croese (Marketing & Communications Manager) - 0479 003 098