Hairdressing accidents are every fashionista’s nightmare. If you go on Instagram or Facebook, you will see video after video that shows what you can do with bleaching, colour and many different dyes. With the right attention to your hair, you can really enhance your look. However, this does all depend on the experience and expertise of your hairdresser. There is a chance that they could get the procedure wrong and “botch” your hair style.
In some cases, this may force them to cut your hair to a shorter length than you wanted, however in more serious cases, it may leave you with burns, scarring, hair loss and colour stains. You don’t deserve to be left feeling embarrassed, shamed or even in pain due to your latest trip to the hairdresser, especially after hairdressers re-open from the 4th July in the UK. This is when you should be considering looking into compensation to help you recover from hairdressing accidents.
What type of hair dresser accidents are there?
Honestly, hairdressing accidents are a lot more common than you think. Whilst your hairdresser may be experienced and have worked on all sorts of different styles during their professional career, unfortunately mistakes can simply happen.
Now, when it comes to these accidents, you may think that they are simply not worth pursuing. These usually come about because of the hairdresser being forced to rush to keep up with appointment timetables. It could be as a result of a sharp object cutting the skin, i.e. cuts due to scissors or minor burns due to curling/straightening tongs. However, in some instance the injuries can cause serious physical damage. Here are some examples of what you could experience if you go to the wrong hairdresser:
As you can see, some accidents can cause more harm than others. However, the main way that you can claim compensation is by showing that the accident was no fault of your own. Your injury came from the hairdresser’s negligence. You see, all stores have a duty of care towards their clients or customers. It does not matter what area of business they are in. They have to look after any customer that steps foot on their premises. If a mistake does happen due to their employees or hazards that have been left out on the floor, the accident was not your fault. Therefore, you could claim hairdresser accident compensation to help you recover from your losses.
Case Study: Mother & Bleaching
Now, we understand that it can be quite daunting launching a compensation claim against your hairdresser. They may be your local parlor and you may not know where else you can go to have your hair cut. However, all hairdressers are legally required to get employer liability insurance to protect themselves. Most ought to have also invested in hairdressers insurance. This means that if an accident does happen then they will not have to pay the damages out of their own pocket. They can pay from their insurance.
If you are wondering whether or not you should request compensation, take a look at this case study below to give you some inspiration. You may be in a similar situation to this mum:
Whilst this mum cannot claim compensation about balding, as it was caused by her own negligence, the product the hairdresser suggested clearly made it worse. Therefore, they are liable to pay damages for causing harm to her scalp and head. This mother suffered losses, including to her:
- Appearance
- Finances (if she chose to invest in a wig or sought medical help)
- Mental health (including her emotional trauma)
- Physical health (due to the injury of hair loss, scabbing and burning)
As you can see, there are a lot of different factors that add up to this mother’s damages that she could claim against the hairdresser. She expected to receive expert advice about her hair loss. Instead, things were simply made worse as she was forced to endure embarrassment and pain on her scalp.
Has something similar happened to you? It does not matter how small your injury is, if it has caused you pain or any sort, you could be due compensation. Your injury was not your fault therefore you will need financial aid to help you recover.
What sort of losses can you claim for?
Usually, when upset customers make a compensation claim against a hairdresser it to sue for physical damages to the hair and scalp. However, did you know that you could also claim for other types of losses? If your injury has been so bad that you have had to pay for medical expenses, or have had to take time off work, you could sue for financial losses. On the other hand, if you have suffered emotionally from your injury, i.e. the embarrassment of having to show your wounds or go out in public, you could also claim for emotional damages.
Discuss these carefully with your solicitor. You need to have evidence that backs up each of your claims. So, make sure to keep evidence that you have lost out financially (i.e. through bills) or emotionally (i.e. through witness statements, testimonies or through a personal diary). The more evidence you have, the more likely that you can prove that you were negatively impacted from the accident in more ways than just through physical damages.
Allergic Reactions to Hair Products
One other injury you could sustain whilst at the hairdressers is due to allergic reaction. If you have sensitive skin then make sure that you tell your hairdresser about it. In reality, your hair dresser should be asking you about whether or not you are allergic to any products. If they do not ask you about it then this could make them liable for any hairdressing accident that has occurred. After all, an experienced hairdresser would have asked you about your allergies and what sort of products would cause a reaction on your scalp.
A reaction to a product may include:
- Itchy skin
- A red rash
- Raised bumps
- Swelling of the hands, feet, lips or face
- Fainting
- Trouble breathing
- Vomiting
Whilst minor allergic reactions may only cause skin irritation, which can be rectified by washing out the product, major allergic reactions may end up with the client being hospitalized. This could leave the client with losses that may prevent them from going to work or going on SSP. It’s important to remember that the extent of your injuries will determine the amount of pay out you get. After all, your compensation will depend on the extent you experienced “a loss”. This could include emotional, psychological, physical and financial damages. Remember these in relation to hairdressing accidents in the future.
Violence & Hairdressing Accidents
As we are currently talking about accidents at a hairdressers, one important thing that we need to bring up is violence in the workplace. Whilst women’s aid has taken a stand against domestic violence to look after their customers, sometimes there can be violent altercations in hair salons between co-workers and customers. Each situation is different. However, you could get hurt if you get involved. For instance, if someone was angry over a haircut and started to get violent, you may have tried to get involved in order to stop it. This could mean that you risk get hurt!
No matter what the situation is, the important thing is that you take notes on how the altercation happened and who was responsible. It may not have been an employee, instead it may have been a customer. In this case, partial responsibility may be the outcome if your case is taken to trial (i.e. the customer and the salon pay your compensation.
Make sure to speak to your solicitor before you decide who you are going to sue for compensation. They can guide you through the process and can ensure you pick the appropriate party so your claim is not invalidated.
What should you do if you have suffered an injury at a hairdressers?
The first thing that you need to do is not panic. Losing your hair or suffering burns to the scalp can be extremely traumatic, however you need to think carefully about reporting the incident to higher management. Ask for your injury to be recorded in the hair dresser’s accident book. You should receive a copy of your complaint. Keep this as it will have notes of your accidents and will add to your case. It will prove that you were not at fault for your accident.
From there, you should try and take down as much evidence as possible. This may include:
- Photographs of your injuries and the environment
- Videos/CCTV Footage
- Police reports
- Medical reports from your doctor
- Witness reports
- Diary entries
- Receipts of any financial losses you may have made
Did you sign a waiver?
When you go in to any sort of beauty or hair salon, it’s important that you are informed about the type of treatment that you are going to undertake. This usually comes in the form of a waiver. A wavier will detail what sort of treatment you are going to receive. It will also list the type of products that are used. It is up to you to read this wavier and make sure there is nothing in it that could irritate or effect your hair or scalp.
This is where most beauty compensation claims and hair accident claims are most likely to fall or be invalidated. If you simply looked it over, signed it and then suffered an injury, you have claimed responsibility and know what you are getting yourself in to. This means your are liable not the hair dressing business. You were aware of the risk of hairdressing accidents, that is why you cannot claim.
If you sign a waiver then it is your responsibility to tell the hair dresser what could irritate your scalp. Should you not do this then any injuries your suffer could be your own fault, meaning that it is very unlikely that you will receive any sort of compensation claim pay-out.
Gowing Law Solicitors can help you with your hairdressing accident compensation claim
Gowing Law Solicitors is one of the top law firms in the UK. No matter how bad your injury is, we will be here to help you with hairdressing accidents compensation claim. Having a bad haircut can have a dramatic impact on your confidence. That’s why we want to help you with your case. That way you can feel like you have the financial means to recover in your own time without being rushed.
Here at Gowing Law, we can offer you free advice and helpful consultations. That way you know exactly how we can help with your claim. If you do decide to work with us, we work on a “no win-no fee” basis. That means there is no risk in claiming compensation. If we do not win your case then you do not have to pay any legal fees. Therefore, you will always come out on top!
If you want to get in contact with our law firm, feel free to call 0800 041 8350, email info@gowinglaw.co.uk or message us directly by visiting our contact page. We will get back in contact with you as quickly as possible.
Want to learn more?
It is important to read up about your claim before you proceed to court. That’s why Gowing Law Solicitors keeps its blog updated regularly with relevant articles about different UK law information. Whether you have been mis-sold a mortgage or have a PPI tax reclaim, or want to learn more about hairdressing accidents, we can inform you about the steps you need to take in order to have a successful claim. Feel free to browse through a different topics to see if there are any articles that could help you! Don’t forget, if you are a bit confused then make sure to ask your solicitor for more information. They would be more than happy to help.
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Gowing Law looks forward to hearing from you soon. We wish you the best of luck with your hairdressing accident compensation claim.
