A HAMPSHIRE woman whose breast implants burst has welcomed a court ruling that could see her – and tens of thousands more – paid damages for the trauma they have endured.

A French court has ruled that a German product-testing company failed in its duty to check and control silicone breast implants that turned out to be prone to leakage.

The court in Toulon ordered TUeV Rheinland to pay yet-to-be-determined damages to plaintiffs – including some 1,600 women – seeking over 50 million euros – £42 million.

TUeV has denied responsibility and plans to appeal.

But for Kym McEwan, from Hamble, who had both her implants burst, the ruling has given her hope that she might be able to reclaim the thousands of pounds she was forced to spend to replace the faulty Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) implants.

The mum told the Daily Echo that although she was not part of the joint claim against the company, she now hopes to join it and get some compensation for the nightmare she was put through.

As previously reported, one of Kym’s implants had even split in two parts leaving her with industrial silicone oozing around her body. The non-medical grade silicone intended for use in mattresses had collected in her lymph nodes causing lumps.

Having already spent £5,000 for the original surgery, she then had to find another £3,000 to get them replaced.

Kym, who opted for breast enlargement surgery after being bullied when she was a teenager for having a flat chest, said: “When I heard the news it did bring a smile to my face because it just gives me some hope, and I am sure many more other women, that we will get back some of the money we have lost.

“I wasn’t part of the joint case put forward but I am now looking to see if I can join. No figure of damages has been decided upon yet but even if we could get something, it would be something.

“We have all been through so much and this bit of good news just gives us hope that this will go in our favour with future cases.”

This latest trial was part of a string of cases centring on now-bankrupt French implant vendor Poly Implant Prothese.

PIP’s founder and several former employees are facing a criminal trial in nearby Marseille over claims it used cheap silicone to fill tens of thousands of implants that were prone to ruptures and leaking.