By Stephen Anderson. Last Updated 21st October 2022. Have you suffered a chemical burn to your scalp? And if so, was it due to the negligence of a third party? If that’s the case, you could have a viable opportunity to claim for compensation, And that’s why this guide courtesy of Public Interest Lawyers is here. We’re covering important factors you should know about making a claim for an injury of this nature. As part of this, we outline an example case study for £24,000 chemical burns compensation amounts.
Chemical burns to scalp compensation
There are twelve headings below which will take you through all of the key chapters in this guide. But remember that you can contact us anytime about how to handle your situation. Simply ring 0800 408 7825, fill out the contact form on our website, or see our Live Chat below. Personal injury lawyers regularly cover cases just like yours, so we look forward to hearing from you.
Choose A Section
- A Guide To Calculating Compensation For Chemical Burns To Scalp
- What Are Chemical Burns?
- Who Can Lose Financially?
- Common Causes Of Chemical Burns To Scalp
- Calculating Chemical Burns Compensation Amounts
- How To Add A Care Claim
- Case Study: £24,000 Chemical Burns To Scalp Compensation
- Compensation Estimates For Scalp Burns
- No Win No Fee Explanation
- Top Personal Injury Solicitors Outside Your Area
- Talk With Us About Chemical Burns Compensation Amounts
- More Links To Learn About Chemical Burns Compensation Amounts
A Guide To Calculating Compensation For Chemical Burns To Scalp
If you’re claiming for chemical burns compensation, this guide explains all vital elements of the claims process. That includes the upsides of a No Win No Fee agreement, and the downsides of a compensation calculator. We discuss special and general damages, care claims, and the financial impact of this injury. And we’re going to outline what a chemical burn is.
Chemical Burns On Scalp – Is There A Claim Time Limit?
If you’ve suffered a chemical burn on the scalp due to negligence, it’s important to know how long you have to start a claim. Under the Limitation Act 1980, the time limit for starting personal injury claims is typically three years from the date the injury occurred.
The time limit can work differently under certain circumstances. If a child suffers a chemical burn due to negligence, then the three-year time limit will be suspended. It will remain so until the child’s 18th birthday – after this point, they will be able to start a claim on their own behalf.
Another reason the time limit may be suspended is when the injured party lacks the sufficient mental capacity to make a claim on their own behalf. If they ever make a recovery, they will have 3 years to start a claim on their own behalf.
When an injured party is unable to start their own claim, a litigation friend could represent them during the suspended period.
What Are Chemical Burns?
Chemicals must be handled with care due to the potential impact they could have. Therefore, to suffer a chemical burn is a dire situation. A chemical burn occurs when the body comes into contact with corrosive substances, such as hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide. It could happen to a minimal level, or it could happen to an extreme level.
A chemical burn (also called a caustic burn) can impact the skin, mouth, eyes, nose or even the internal organs. If the scalp is exposed to a corrosive chemical, a scalp burn would likely occur. Such substances can damage the layers of tissue that make up the skin on the scalp. Even a minor splash from any corrosive liquid can be enough to cause serious, long-term damage to the scalp.
A trip to the A&E department for a hospital would be highly recommended. Chemical burns can leave substantial scarring or render the area very tender. Caustic burns can be very damaging and will need immediate attention.
Severe chemical burns may require extensive hospitalisation and months of recovery, along with potential plastic surgery. The injury’s impact would ultimately dictate the level of chemical burns compensation amounts you could viably claim for. Learn more by speaking with our friendly team.
Who Can Lose Financially?
The victim of an accident resulting in a chemical burn could certainly lose out financially. The major financial headaches stemming from a chemical burn would be the initial aftercare that may be needed especially when serious burns have affected huge parts of the body.
But this could lead to high figures being paid out and could put you in a financial struggle. And when you consider potential time off work without pay during recovery, the losses would become even higher. But rest assured that these expenses would shape your chemical burns compensation amount if your case is successful. Call us to receive further guidance.
Common Causes Of Chemical Burns To Scalp
Claiming for negligence after an injury requires you to meet these points of criteria:
- A duty of care was owed to you in some way by a third party;
- However, somehow a breach of duty took place, causing an incident;
- And this incident would result in you being hurt, an example being you suffering a chemical burn.
Employer’s Liability
Now, when it comes to scenarios instigating negligence claims, three key areas come to mind. Employer’s liability (EL) is the first instance, which refers to an employer being liable for compensation if an employee is injured due to their negligence. This comes under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and is in place to prevent workplace accidents. But the risk of something going wrong at work remains if employers and employees fail to take proper precautions. One such accident at work could see you suffer a chemical burn in a laboratory due to a lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Public Liability
The second major example would be public liability (PL). Those in control of public areas have a duty fo care to those who visit these places. But despite the duty of care via the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, there are many locations where an accident in a public place might occur. And those incidents could prove to be very serious, especially when it comes to suffering a chemical burn. One relevant possibility of being injured due to a failure to adhere to the applied duty of care could be a hairdresser acting in a negligent manner. As you will see in our example case study below.
The Highway Code
Last but not least, we come to a road traffic accident, also known as an RTA. The Highway Code‘s duty of care is applicable for drivers and other vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians. Although you are unlikely to see or suffer a chemical burn in an RTA it is another place where a duty of care is applied via the Highway Code.
Want to know more about accident scenarios leading to a claim for a chemical burns compensation amount? Use our online form to present any questions to our expert team.
Calculating Chemical Burns Compensation Amounts
General and special damages could form your estimate for a chemical burns compensation amount. The general damages would be the primary consequences of your particular injury. So, we’re talking about the initial pain, the subsequent suffering and the long-term impact on your life. As for special damages, these would handle the additional fallout from your chemical burn. That means medical costs, time off work without pay and any further expenses such as plastic surgery for scalp disfigurements.
But ahead of receiving this estimate, you would undergo a full diagnosis under a doctor’s supervision. This would clarify the severity of your chemical burn as well as the contributory factors that led to your injury. Also, the medical assessment could determine your recovery time and the level of scarring beyond your treatment. Each of these points adds to your case’s strength, which increases the likelihood that you may receive compensation. Talk to us anytime to discuss compensation estimates, medical evaluations and general and special damages.
How To Add A Care Claim
To add a care claim, you would need to prove that you receive aftercare specifically because of your injury. This means placing a value on the time covering the gracious care from friends and family. It also means keeping a record of you hiring a nurse to look after you at home. And it means retaining receipts and invoices for professional home care services like gardening and cleaning. If you have evidence to support each of these elements directly linked to your injury, care could add to your potential chemical burns compensation amount. Get in touch for further details.
Case Study: £24,000 Chemical Burns To Scalp Compensation
Miss Williams, 33, worked as a journalist for a local newspaper. Sometimes she would have to be in front of the camera so always liked to look after her appearances.
On one particular afternoon, Miss Williams popped into a new beauty salon. While she was there, Miss Williams was also planning to have her hair bleached. This was ahead of an important awards ceremony for her field.
So, Miss Williams prepared for her treatment, and it initially seemed to go well. But soon she felt an incredible burning feeling. Her scalp felt as though it was on fire. The hairdresser quickly realised that a significant amount of the bleach had now reached the client’s scalp.
Miss Williams realised she needed help. The hairdresser soaked the journalist’s head under cold running water for over ten minutes. But the pain was still unbearable.
Miss Williams went to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with a chemical burn to the scalp. The extent of the burn meant that there would be a significant hair loss and damage to her scalp. Miss Williams was devastated this was a big blow for her career. She was not sure if she would be able to do any televised news reporting in the future. Most of her hair had fallen out as consequence.
Miss Williams was dismayed at the circumstances surrounding the accident. It was avoidable; if only the hairdresser had performed a patch test beforehand.
Chemical Burns Compensation Amount
After speaking with a personal injury solicitor, Miss Williams discovered that she could file a claim. This would be due to negligence and the breach of duty of care. The journalist had not only suffered huge amounts of pain but she had also lost out financially as although she could continue to write and report she had to wait till her hair grew back before she could report in front of the camera. Miss Williams received a £24,000 chemical burns compensation payout in £10,340 general damages and £13,660 special damages.
| Type Of Special Damages | Includes: | How Much? |
|---|---|---|
| Lost Earnings | Costs of being unable to work as a TV reporter. | £11,060 |
| Medical Costs | Costs of medical treatment during her recovery | £600 |
| Carer Costs | Other costs from her injury | £1000 |
| Cosmetic treatments | £1000 |
We must point out that Miss Williams’ situation is fictitious and merely an example for this article.
Compensation Estimates For Scalp Burns
An online personal injury claims calculator could determine your possible chemical burns compensation amount. But it uses general industry figures rather than considering how your injury has specifically changed your life. That’s why we avoid them and instead place the spotlight directly on your circumstances.
Perhaps the burn has altered your career plans in a way that wouldn’t apply to a victim of a similar injury. Or maybe the level of disfigurement is to such a degree that you avoid leaving your house unless it’s necessary. These are the factors particular to you that could impact what you may receive. And we could offer you this estimate for no charge whatsoever. Speak with our knowledgeable team to find out more.
No Win No Fee Explanation
So, no costs towards their personal injury solicitor’s time would be charged upon initial contact nor at any point before a final ruling. Crucially, if for any reason the case is unsuccessful, the claimant wouldn’t pay a penny for their personal injury lawyer’s costs.
If the case succeeds, then a nominal figure known as a success fee would be paid to the solicitor. But even this is capped by law, meaning the claimant wouldn’t lose out significantly on their chemical burns compensation amount. Drop us a line to discuss further benefits of working with a No Win No Fee solicitor.
Top Personal Injury Solicitors Outside Your Area
How do you find a high-quality personal injury lawyer who doesn’t have a base in your area? Simple: you could use the internet to determine the right legal representation possible, focusing on quality rather than locality. To that end, our panel of No Win No Fee personal injury solicitors would be ideal for handling your case.
There are plenty of positive client reviews they can showcase as supportive evidence. Then consider the years of expertise at the highest level in this industry, along with our credibility amongst the competition. And they ensure a fast turnaround. To find out more about Public Interest Lawyers, simply use the Live Chat in the bottom right-hand corner.
Talk With Us About Chemical Burns Compensation Amounts
Now, we want to hear about your own experience with suffering a chemical burn. Public Interest Lawyers could work with you to ensure that you receive the chemical burns compensation amount you’re entitled to. To get in touch, you can do any of the following:
- Telephone us on 0800 408 7825;
- Fill out the form on our website;
- Or simply instant message us via our Live Chat.
Remember: you’re not under any pressure whatsoever to pursue your case, even after establishing communication with us. And we’re accessible 24/7, so we could answer your enquiry at any time of the day.
More Links To Learn More About Chemical Burn Compensation Amounts
We appreciate that you have taken the time to check out this guide on chemical burns compensation amounts. If you want to know more, the links below could be of use.
Public Interest Lawyers explain all of the services we provide on our home page.
We also discuss injuries in a beauty salon.
And we explain the pros and cons of working with a car accident lawyer after a road accident.
The NHS has a page all about chemical burns.
Additionally, they cover all of their various patient services.
And you can also read the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Article by AR
Publishers LA/II/NI