what could happen to me (legally) if i gave someone MRSA via tattoo? plz help?

Dan: what could happen to me (legally) if i gave someone MRSA via tattoo? plz help?
I am a self tough tattooer (via books, internet and talking to other artists), ive been tattooing somewhere around a year (around 80 tattoos all happy with the work) without any major issues, until recently. I always use disposable needles and tubes all the time, im tattooing out of my house, but im make a conscious effort to be as clean as possible. i clean up after every sitting ( i have had things like Barbasol and Medicide( around the time of this instance i was using Mr, Clean and or lysol). also at the time i didn’t have gloves. i cant site where i read it, but the meaning behind gloves for tattooing is to protect the artist from the blood of the person your tattooing. so i thoroughly washed my hands before i started. every break id wash my hands again or use hand sanitizer. ive done a number of tattoos under these circumstances without anything happening. the people that come to me know what they are getting into. its not exactly a basement tattoo and its not exactly as perfect as a shop.

None the less someone i tattooed ended up getting MRSA, and im afraid that ill end up getting sued or put in jail over this. i cant come up with exact dates but the tattoo was done about a month ago, a few days to a week she got the tattoo checked by a doctor. a few weeks after that the doctor said it was MRSA and gave her antibiotic’s. I still dont know the extent to how bad the infection is. but i know it could be anywhere from easily treatable to deadly. the only thing im not sure of is if it was definitely from me or from her not taking care of it, some other outside factor.

If you need to know anything elce please feel free to ask. any info you can provide to help me out please share, i need to know anything and everything i can. Thanks.

Answers and Views:

Answer by tous-pour-un-un-pour-tous
You can be sued
You can be sent to jail

You’re not licensed so it wouldn’t be a surprise. Now I doubt you will go to jail, but being sued I wouldn’t be surprised with

Answer by Kevin
If you are in a location that requires you to have certification from the local government and you don’t. You could be fined, sued and even jail time. You don’t mention using an autoclave for sterilization. Mr Clean and lysol are house hold cleaners and not for medical use.

Wearing gloves protects you and your client. Finger nail beds are almost impossible to keep clean enough.

If you are an illegal shop then there can and will be consequences.

My guess is that you don’t have any insurance to cover yourself either.

Answer by Alice Hart
Gloves are absolutely necessary. They are important to protect BOTH the artist and the client. Lysol and Mr Clean are obviously not good enough for this kind of situation so as far as I’m concerned, you have been lazy, cheap and you can absolutely be sued for this. A person should definitely look into where they are getting tattooed, and make sure it’s sanitary and safe but legally and realistically, it is ultimately the artists responsibility to know what steps need to be taken to keep things safe and take them.

You can’t possibly say you make a real conscious effort to be as clean as possible. If that were true, you would be doing what you KNOW you’re supposed to be doing, instead of trying to justify being cheap and excuse the mistakes you made on purpose to cut corners.

Answer by Jocelyn
this is why tattoo shops have you sign a waiver saying if it gets messed up or infected the artist is not responsible for it.

Answer by peanut 2
If you have been found to not be adhering to the health and safety regulations then they can sue you, for a lot of money.

You didnt use gloves, which means you were not adhering to the law.
Which means they can sue you.
And they would win.

If she dies or suffers serious damage from it, you may go to jail yes.

Get your act together, tattoos are serious.