Hairdresser Injury Claims

Claiming against a hairdresser

Visiting a hairdresser should be an ordinary experience, without any risk of harm. But that isn’t always how it goes.

You may have been hurt while getting your hair done. If this was because of the hairdresser’s negligence, you could be able to make a compensation claim.

Having a bad haircut or style can cause emotional distress. This can be even worse if you’ve suffered an injury at the hands of a hairdresser, who was supposed to help you feel better about yourself.

You could be injured in many ways at the hairdresser. Some of the most common injuries include:

• Allergic reactions to hair dye

You should have a patch test on your skin at least 48 hours before getting your hair dyed. If your hairdresser doesn’t do the patch test and you then find that you’re allergic to the dye used, you could be able to make a claim for the illness you’ve suffered.

• Cuts and burns

If your hairdresser isn’t paying enough attention to what they’re doing, they could easily cut you with the sharp objects they use or even burn you with appliances like curlers and straighteners. Your scalp, face and ears are most likely to suffer from these injuries.

• Electric shocks

Hairdressers use a lot of electrical equipment to style hair. If they haven’t checked on their appliances when they should have, they may pose a risk of an electric shock. You could be able to make a claim after an injury like this.

• Incorrect application of chemicals

If you’re having a chemical treatment on your hair, including having it dyed, your hairdresser will have to make sure it’s applied in the right way. If it’s put on incorrectly or left on your hair too long, you could end up suffering a chemical burn.

• Infections

If your hairdresser uses unclean equipment, they could be putting you at risk of an infection. Salons are obligated to keep their equipment clean to keep you safe. If they haven’t done this and you’ve caught an infection or illness, you could be able to make a claim.

• Loss of hair

If your hairdresser has pulled your hair out or caused you to lose your hair, you could be able to make a negligence claim against them. They should have made sure that they were handling your hair appropriately to avoid this kind of harm.

You may have even slipped on the floor of the salon. The staff have an obligation to keep the salon safe for you. If they haven’t cleaned the floor or made you aware of any spills or trip hazards, you could make a slip, trip or fall claim if you hurt yourself.

There may be other ways you could have been hurt at a hairdressing salon, so just get in touch if you have any questions about making a claim against a hairdresser.

What evidence do I need?

Evidence is one of the most important parts of any personal injury claim. With a hairdressing compensation claim, you might have some of the following pieces of evidence:

• Appointment records – including text reminders and cards
• Cuttings of your damaged hair
• Medical records – especially when you’ve suffered a serious allergic reaction to hair dye
• Photographs of the damage to your hair or skin
• The names of your hairdresser and the salon
• The names of the products used on your hair

Your solicitor will let you know about any other important pieces of evidence you may have.

How much compensation can I claim for a hairdressing injury?

Every injury and every person is different. You might react completely differently to an injury than someone else would. This means you might have a longer recovery process than someone else who is injured in a similar way.

So this makes it difficult to say exactly what you could be entitled to for a hairdressing injury without a conversation.

There are some general guidelines about compensation amounts for certain injuries. For example, serious damage to your hair could see compensation of up to £13,450 awarded. Our Compensation Calculator could give you a rough idea of what you might be entitled to.

You could also be able to claim for financial losses caused by your injury. This includes medical treatment and travel to and from appointments. Your solicitor will be able to explain what you can claim for.

Hairdressers need to have certain insurance policies in place. You’ll claim compensation from the insurer, not the hairdresser directly.

How can I fund a hairdresser claim?

In most cases, our solicitors will be able to take on your claim on a No Win No Fee basis. This can make the process of starting a claim much less intimidating.

That’s because you won’t have anything to pay upfront and there’s nothing to pay if your claim is not successful. Your solicitor won’t take any fees if you don’t win your claim.

If your claim is successful, your solicitor will take a success fee. This will be an amount from your final compensation. It could be up to 25%, but it won’t be any more than that. Your solicitor will be able to talk you through all the details around funding.

How long do I have to make a claim?

You’ll usually have three years from the date of your injury to make a claim for compensation. But there are some exceptions to the rule.

If you’re claiming on behalf of a child, you’ll be able to start the claim at any point up until they turn 18. From then, they’ll have three years to make a claim themselves. This means they’re able to claim for a hairdressing injury up until their 21st birthday.

And if you’re claiming for someone who lacks the mental capacity to claim themselves, you won’t face a deadline.

What should I do now?

If you’re not sure whether you can make a claim for an injury caused by a hairdresser, just get in touch with our friendly and understanding team.

We’ll have an initial chat about what happened and then we’ll let you know how we can help. If you have a claim, we’ll match you to one of our specialist injury solicitors. If they agree that you have a strong claim, they’ll take over the management of your case.

They’ll put your evidence together and present it to your hairdresser’s insurer. They’ll then work to get you the compensation you’re entitled to.

To begin the process of making a claim, just give us a call or start your claim online.