How To Claim Compensation For Beauty Treatment Negligence

On this page, you will find a guide to making a public liability beauty treatment claim. This guide will cover many of the ways these kinds of claims come about, why you could be eligible to claim yourself, and who could be liable to pay compensation.

It also covers many of the legal and financial aspects of making a claim, as well as introducing the concept of a No Win No Fee claims service.

You may have questions that are unanswered by this guide or need advice about your own claim.

If this is the case, you can call our advisors on 0800 408 7825. They will be able to provide you with the answers, help and advice you need.

You can also speak to our advisors online by using our contact form or our 24/7 live chat service.

a woman receiving beauty treatment in the form of an injection to the side of her eye

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A Guide To Public Liability Beauty Treatment Claims

Within this guide to making beauty treatment claims, we will explain when and how you may be able to sue a salon. We’ll also look at different aspects of the claims process itself. This guide begins by covering a basic definition of what this kind of clam is, including why you could be eligible to make such a claim. We will also provide you with a table the lists compensation ranges for the kinds of injuries that could be the result of an incident in a beauty salon. Additionally, you will find a list of some of the typical types of damages that could be claimed.

The middle part of this guide, covers some examples of the kinds of beauty salon claims that people may need to make. Each of these is presented in its own section, with information about the claim, and where appropriate the kinds of risks and hazard that could lead to it.

In the final part of this guide, we take a look at the concept of consent, and how this can be a pivotal point for making a claim. We will also go over what a claims service is in this part of the guide, and explain why a claims service could be a good way for you to have your claim processed. However, for this guide to be of real use to you, then you must be ready to start making your claim within the personal injury claims time limit. This time limit, is in general, three years. However, it can be different under specific circumstances. So we recommend you speak to a solicitor to learn what time limit would apply to your own claim.

What Is A Beauty Treatment Accident Or Injury?

A beauty treatment solicitor could be able to help you claim compensation for damaged hair, if you have come to harm due to the negligent actions of a person working for a beauty parlour. This could be one of the beauticians, or it could be negligence on the part of the operator of the premises in some way. The key here, is that in order to be eligible to make a claim, a third party must be at least partially to blame for the harm you have suffered. Consider the following two examples:

  1. A customer of a salon, suffers permanent scarring, due to a chemical burn caused by an incorrectly administered beauty treatment.
  2. A customer of a salon, suffers permanent scarring, due to a chemical burn caused by using a product they purchased from the saloon inappropriately.

In the first example, the person working for the salon who caused harm to the customer, may have been negligent, and a reason to make a claim could exist. In the second example, the injured party was responsible for causing harm to themselves, and the salon is not liable.

Whenever a customer or employee of a beauty parlour is injured due to negligence, omission, oversight or error, then the salon owner could be liable to pay compensation to the injured party. To get a better idea, why not check our case study which looks at a case of hair loss in a young woman?

In certain circumstances, an injured party may have contributed to the incident that caused them harm in some way. This would not negate the fact that the salon may also be liable. However, a reduced percentage of liability would be negotiated, and any settlement the salon pays the claimant, would be driven by this percentage.

Beauty Treatment Injury Public Liability Compensation Calculator

If you can start a valid beauty treatment claim, you may have questions about how much compensation you could be offered. The compensation payments for this type of personal injury claim may vary as final payments are influenced by several factors. For instance, consideration may be given to what exact injuries are claimed for and how serious they are deemed to be. Whether or not any financial losses can be claimed is also a factor. If you contact Public Interest Lawyers, our advisors could discuss a potential claim you may have and potentially provide guidance on the compensation payments that may be offered based on the details of your case.

What Damages Or Costs Could I Be Compensated For?

If you win your claim for compensation for beauty injury, the settlement that you receive could comprise of a number of different forms of damages. Each of these types of damages will fit under the two general headings of general damages, and special damages. General damages are all related to some form of physical or psychological harm. Special damages are all related to financial or other ad-hoc losses. For example:

  • General damages (for the physical harm you suffered):
    • General pain and suffering after the incident.
    • Permanent disability.
    • Psychological damage.
    • Mental trauma, stress or stress.
    • Painful treatment or a long recovery.
  • Special damages (for financial and other losses):
    • The cost of paying for in-home nursing or home help.
    • Loss of your salary or wages.
    • Loss of future hearing potential.
    • Private medical fees you paid yourself.
    • Travel related expenses.

You should speak to a solicitor to learn the kinds of damages that you could be able to claim for in your own case.

Beauty Treatment Waxing Injury Claims

Although waxing is a popular beauty treatment in the UK, it doesn’t come without risks. Waxing is actually a fairly aggressive procedure, where the hair is ripped out at the follicle. The process of waxing can result in an injury such as a bikini line waxing burn, or others such as:

  • General burns caused by the wax being too hot.
  • Infections caused by the tiny injuries to the skin not being cleaned properly.
  • Damage to the hair follicle or bulb, meaning the hair will not grow again.
  • Skin irritation, swelling or a rash due to an allergic reaction.

If you were to suffer these kinds of physical harm, due to the waxing process being carried out inexpertly, or in a negligent manner, then you could possibly make a claim.

Beauty Treatment Injuries Or Damage To The Skin

There are many beauty treatments that can potentially result in an injury such as a hair dye burn, due to a simple mistake being made due to negligence, for example:

  • Microdermabrasion – to remove acne scars or age spots.
  • Chemical peels – to rejuvenate the upper layer of skin.
  • Laser resurfacing – to remove the outer layer of old skin.
  • Laser skin rejuvenation – to remove wrinkles.
  • Acne blue light therapy – to cure acne.
  • Thermage – to stimulate skin rejuvenation.

All of these treatments require a skilled, trained beautician to administer them. If a mistake is made through negligence, causing harm to the customer, then it could be the basis for a claim.

Beauty Treatment Chemical Burn Injury Claims

A chemical peel burn is a possible side effect of some beauty treatments. Especially those that aim to remove a layer of skin, or to apply some some-permanent change to hair, eyebrows, etc. Common symptoms of chemical burns include:

  • Blisters or skin bubbles.
  • Bacterial infection.
  • Varying degrees of burns.
  • Damage to the underlying tissue.

These kinds of symptoms are generally caused by the misapplication or misuse of chemicals such as:

  • Strong bases.
  • Dye (hair, eyebrows, etc.).
  • Strong acids.
  • Hair straightening agents.
  • Bleach (skin or hair).

If your beautician makes a mistake during a beauty treatment, resulting in a chemical burn, you could be able to make a claim.

Laser Hair Removal Injuries At A Public Beauty Salon

Laser hair removal is often touted as a safer option than chemical processes. However, there is still a risk attached to this treatment, that could result in a laser hair removal burn if the treatment is carried out incorrectly. Other injuries and side effects that can be caused by improperly done laser hair removal include:

  • Too much hair being removed.
  • Hair being removed from the wrong place.
  • Burnt skin.
  • Permanent scarring.
  • Infections of the skin or tissue.

Laser hair removal is a technique that requires a trained and qualified beautician to administer. If these kinds of injuries are caused by negligence on the part of the beautician, then it could be possible to make a claim.

Injuries Caused During The Negligent Application Of Eyelash Extensions Or Dye

When you visit a beauty parlour to have your eyelashes extended or dyed, you could suffer an eyelash extension injury or eyelash dyeing injury if the person performing the procedure makes a mistake. Injuries can be caused by risks such as:

  • The cornea being scratched.
  • A bacterial infection.
  • Chemical burns.
  • Permanent scarring.

If these kinds of injuries can be proven to have been caused by negligence, then the salon owner could be liable, and it could be possible to make a compensation claim for the harm suffered.

Injuries Caused By Negligent Application Of Semi-Permanent Makeup

A semi-permanent makeup injury would be the result of either negligence on the part of the person administering the treatment, or some form of an allergic reaction to the chemicals used in the process.

Minerals and glycerine are used, underneath the skin, to provide colour and shading that lasts for many weeks. However, the chemical compounds used, can cause damage to either the upper layer of skin, of the underlying tissue.

All beauty salons are required to comply with regulations related to the use of hazardous chemicals. Part of these legal obligations is ensuring that all staff who work with these chemicals, is trained to do so safely, so as not to harm themselves, a member of the public, or another employee. If some form of physical harm is  caused by the beautician administering a treatment incorrectly or negligently, then you could have a basis for a claim.

Do I Need Evidence To Support A Beauty Treatment Claim?

An important part of making a beauty treatment claim is collecting evidence. Evidence can benefit your claim in a number of ways by helping you prove who is liable for your injuries, how they occurred, and how they will affect you and your life going forward.

Some examples of evidence that you could present to strengthen your beauty treatment claim include:

  •   Photographs: Taking pictures of your injuries can help prove their severity.
  •   Medical records: Your medical records can help illustrate your injuries and the treatment you received for them.
  •   Witness statements: Taking the contact details of potential witnesses means that their statements can be taken at a later date.

These are only a few examples of the kind of evidence you could collect to help strengthen your claim. One of the benefits of working with a solicitor on your claim is that they can help you collect this evidence.

To find out if you could be eligible to work with one of the solicitors on our panel, contact our advisors today.

Beauty Salon Accident At Work Claims Against Public Liability Insurance

If a person working in a salon suffers a beauty salon injury, then if the employer is found to be either directly or indirectly responsible for the incident that caused the injury, there could be a valid route to making a claim. Every salon operator has to comply with multiple levels of legislation, aimed at keeping the workforce safe, and these include:

As part of the regulations, there are certain types of beautician insurance which beauty salons should have. In the UK, beauty liability insurance and property insurance are the minimum policies a salon needs to function. The liability insurance covers a salon if it is found to be liable following an accident which injures a customer or employee. Property insurance covers the salon’s physical property in the event of theft or accidental damage.

Complying with these regulations is not optional; it is a legal obligation. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in stiff penalties. Furthermore, when an employee is injured due to non-compliance, they could be able to claim against their employer.

Giving Consent For Beauty Treatments

A beauty salon will often ask a customer to sign a waiver or consent form, when they are requesting to be given a procedure that has known risks attached. This is intended to indemnify the salon for any injuries or salon accidents that result from administering the procedure. However, these kinds of waivers do not indemnify the salon. In effect, they are worthless attempts to fool customers into accepting any adverse results or health problems that are the result of treatment, rather than take action against the salon.

Just because you have signed an indemnity form, does not mean the salon cannot be sued for damages if they harm a customer through negligence. Your basic consumer rights supersede any waiver you sign. Furthermore, the salon is likely liable if it can be proven they have failed in their regulatory requirement to conform with all applicable Health & Safety legislation. In short, giving consent to having the treatment carried out does not mean you cannot make a claim if something goes wrong, and you suffer harm at the hands of a beauty salon. A solicitor would be able to advise you further on this, and help you get your claim started.

No Win No Fee Public Liability Beauty Treatment Claims

Using a No Win No Fee claims service, is an effective way to gain access to the services of a personal injury lawyer, and have your claim processed in a financially risk-free fashion. These kinds of claims services, offer a fee structure that is also often termed a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). In effect, this means you don’t pay anything at all until you have won a compensation settlement.

When the claims service first begins working on your claim, they will not charge you anything. Whilst they are processing your claim, even if this takes many months, there will be no ongoing legal fees. If the solicitor fails to win you any compensation at all, then you don’t pay a thing. The only time that you will be expected to pay legal fees, is when the solicitor has received a compensation payment for you. They will then take their fee directly out of the money they have received on your behalf, and then forward the remainder to you. As you can see, using this kind of claims service, presents no financial risk at all.

How To Make A Successful Public Liability Beauty Treatment Claim

Have you been injured by a beauty salon? Do you believe that you may have a valid reason to make a claim? If so, you may like to use the services of a personal injury solicitor, that specialises in public accident claims. If you still have any questions and would like to speak to an advisor about making a beauty treatment claim, you’re welcome to contact Public Interest Lawyers. You can call our advisors on 0800 408 7825. Or you can reach us online by using either our contact us page or our 24/7 live chat service.

Related Guides And References

At the links below, you will find additional information that could be useful to you:

Health & Safety in the beauty and cosmetic sector

NHS information related to chemical burns

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

Other Personal Injury Claim Guides