TÜV Rheinland is a German company that certifies the quality of diverse production systems, ranging from children’s toys to nuclear plants. It has more than 500 offices in 65 countries and invoices around 2 billion euros annually.
TÜV Rheinland is the company that certified the quality system of the manufacturer of PIP defective implants and allowed their sale for 9 consecutive years.
Merci made the lawsuit against TÜV Rheinland reach global significance. So far, Merci has obtained provisional compensation of more than 40 million euros in favor of its subsidiaries.
As a result of the work of Merci and its international allies, TÜV Rheinland’s negligence in the quality control process of PIP implants has been confirmed by several French courts. Negligence includes lack of control over the purchasing system and personnel, lack of independence of TÜV Rheinland’s auditors and lack of additional control measures that were within their reach.
TÜV Rheinland has been obliged to pay each admitted client an initial payment of around 3,000 euros, with an estimated final payment of 15,000 euros on average that could amount to up to 40,000 euros, depending on the severity of each case.
The women represented by Merci in the claims against TÜV Rheinland are gathered in
four groups:
