N.C. Judge: Woman Entitled to One New Breast Implant

Appellate judges have ruled that a woman who said her breast implants were damaged after a car accident can be compensated for the replacement of one implant, but not the other.

The North Carolina Court of Appeals issued a ruling Tuesday in a workers’ compensation claim filed by Penny M. Rumple Richardson. Richardson said an on-the-job car accident in 2001 caused rippling and a decrease in size of her implants.

Greensboro plastic surgeon Dr. David Bowers testified that Richardson’s right implant had ruptured and the left implant showed signs of rippling. So he replaced both implants.

Bowers later testified that the left implant most likely had rippling because it was under-filled, so judges did not award Richardson compensation for that implant.