When you go to the beauty salon you don’t expect to end up making a legal claim. You think you’ll end up with highlights or lowlights or waxed eyebrows, but the unfortunate reality is that some salons give their patrons much more than they wanted. A beauty salon has a duty of care to make sure the patron is safe when they are having treatments or beauty procedures carried out. Hot wax, hot liquids, and strong chemicals may all cause chemical burns if not used correctly. If you suffer a burn due to the neglect of the salon or the salon’s workers, you are entitled to make a legal claim for compensation.
1. Understand the Causes of Cosmetic Burns
Cosmetic burns may occur due to a number of factors. If you have been affected under one of the following circumstances, consider whether you want to make a claim. For example, undertrained beauticians may make a mistake when administering a product. The beauty therapist may not be concentrating when they are performing the procedure. There may be no attention to safety procedures such as skin patch tests.
2. Document Your Injuries
Common injuries that arise from salon treatments gone wrong include burned scalp and burned hair, chemical burns to the skin, scalds, and facial burns. You may be left with scarring if a procedure causes a burn. These scars can lead to psychological and emotional harm. Cosmetic surgery gone wrong can result in serious injuries that continue to affect you over time. If you have been injured in the salon then documenting these injuries will help your legal claim. Take photos of the injuries, and keep records of the medical treatment you receive. Keep a diary of the levels of pain you feel, what medication you take, and how your injury affects you in other ways. In particular, keep a record of any loss of earnings, and the cost of travel to your GP or hospital.
3. Understand the Compensation Expectations
When you visit a solicitor to discuss your claim they will give you some idea of the amount of compensation you can expect as a result of your injuries. The amount varies depending on the area affected by the injury, the seriousness of the injury, and the emotional consequences of the injury. For example, burns to the face following cosmetic procedures will result in higher pay-outs when the burn is disfiguring and causes psychological damage.
4. Continue with the Claim Until the Conclusion
It depends on the extent of your injuries and how serious they are as to how long the claim will take. Less serious burns and injuries will usually be dealt with more quickly as they are less contentious and the compensation amounts are lower. Severe injuries and burns will require extensive medical evidence and consequently the process will be longer. The length of the case also depends on whether the salon or the person admits responsibility or if the case has to go to court.
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