Butt Injection Deaths May Lead to Lawsuits
A Mississippi resident faces charges for illegal silicone butt injection deaths in two states. Civil lawsuits are possible as well.
Tracey Lynn Garner, also known as Morris Garner, was already accused in a Georgia woman's death from illegal silicone butt injections. Garner has now been charged with "depraved heart murder" in the case of an Alabama woman who died after getting the same butt-augmentation procedure.
Garner, 52, is a man who lives and dresses as a woman, The Clarion-Ledger reports. Garner is currently under house arrest.
Unlicensed Operations
Garner's latest alleged victim, Karima Gordon, died in an Atlanta hospital of a blood clot in her lung a few days after receiving a silicone buttocks injection.
Part of the reason the procedure is so dangerous is because it's being administered by non-medical professionals. Silicone butt injections aren't technically illegal if administered by a licensed medical provider who uses a sterile product. Even so, the FDA has yet to approve the risky procedure because patients may end up hospitalized, in pain, disfigured and suffering respiratory problems, reports Science Daily.
In this case, Garner does not appear to have any medical licenses. His operating room was in his home, reports the Clarion-Ledger.
A separate issue is the quality of the injection itself. In many cases of butt injections gone bad, the substance is counterfeit silicone.
Wrongful Death Lawsuits Possible
A word of caution to those drawn to back-alley health procedures: Don't find your butt injecter on the Internet. That's how Gordon was allegedly referred to Garner.
If convicted in either case of depraved heart murder, Garner faces up to life in prison. In addition, Garner may also face wrongful death lawsuits by relatives of the women who died after their butt injection procedures.
Even if Garner is acquitted of the criminal charges, wrongful-death lawusits may still be successful. Part of the reason is that the standard of proof is typically lower for civil lawsuits.
However, wrongful death suits must be brought within a specific time frame, depending on which state you're suing in. An experienced wrongful death lawyer can help you determine the best way to proceed.
Mississippi's attorney general encourages anyone who may have received a buttocks or breast augmentation from Garner to notify the AG's Consumer Protection Division at (800) 281-4418.
Related Resources:
- MS woman charged with murder in buttocks injection case (Memphis, Tennessee's WMC-TV)
- Butt Injections Get Lauretta Cheek, Phony Surgeon, Busted -- Again (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- 'Black Madam' Butt Injection Doc Arrested at Philly Pumping Party (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Illegal Silicone Butt Injector Pleads Guilty, Worked Entire East Coast (FindLaw's Legally Weird)