A recent court filing has brought to light serious allegations of medical negligence and unfair business practices against a well-known skincare clinic. The complaint, filed by Claire L. Imelli in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara on October 18, 2024, accuses Skinspirit Essential, LLC, along with individuals Sara Padash and Dr. Michael Dean Vistness, of several legal violations.
Claire L. Imelli claims that she suffered severe injuries due to the negligent actions of Skinspirit Essential and its employees. According to the complaint, Imelli visited SkinSpirit's Los Gatos location on October 12, 2024, seeking treatment for sun-damaged skin. She was attended by Sara Padash, a registered nurse employed by SkinSpirit who claimed expertise in dermatology and laser treatments. However, Imelli later discovered that Padash had only been trained as a pediatric nurse and had less than six months of experience with the BroadBand Light (BBL) treatment recommended to her.
The lawsuit alleges that on November 14, 2023, during a BBL treatment session conducted by Padash without any medical doctor present or consulted, Imelli experienced significant pain which led to severe skin damage including blisters and scarring. The plaintiff asserts that this lack of supervision violated industry standards requiring direct oversight by a licensed medical doctor for such procedures.
Imelli's complaint further accuses SkinSpirit of negligent hiring practices by failing to ensure their staff met advertised standards of training and expertise. "Our best-in-class providers receive advanced education through SkinSpirit University," states the company’s promotional material cited in the lawsuit. Yet, according to Imelli's allegations, these promises were not fulfilled in her case.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims that SkinSpirit engaged in unfair competition by providing medical care without proper supervision from a licensed physician as required under California law. This allegedly allowed them to gain an unfair advantage over competitors who comply with state regulations.
The plaintiff is seeking various forms of relief from the court including general damages exceeding jurisdictional limits for her physical and emotional suffering; compensation for medical expenses incurred due to the alleged negligence; loss of earnings capacity; attorney fees; and injunctive relief prohibiting defendants from continuing their unlawful practices.
Representing Claire L. Imelli is attorney Todd K. Davis from Farling Hecht & Davis LLP., while no information about defense attorneys is provided in this document. The case has been assigned Case ID: 24CV449811 at the Superior Court of California in Santa Clara County.