Sunbed Injury Claims
Sunbeds and tanning salons are popular in the UK – but that doesn’t make them safe. If you’ve suffered a sunbed injury, you could claim compensation.
Making a sunbed injury claim
If you have been injured or burnt from a sunbed due to the negligence of the staff, you could be able to make a personal injury claim.
You could suffer from a range of injuries related to sunbeds, including:
- Skin damage, such as burns or blisters
- Skin cancer
- Eye damage
You may even have suffered an injury due to a mechanical fault with the sunbed, such as an electric shock.
Sunbeds are known to pose a risk to skin health. But suffering skin damage doesn’t always mean you can make a claim. To make a claim, you’ll need to be able to prove that the negligence of the tanning salon was responsible for your injury.
Can you sue a tanning salon for burns?
You may be able to sue a tanning salon for burns. It will depend on the situation around how you suffered the burns. If the salon you suffered a burn in was negligent in their duty of care to you, it could be possible to make a compensation claim.
This can be done through occupiers liability, which sets out that anyone occupying a property – such as a salon – has a duty of care to protect the people who visit – like their customers.
There are also strict laws around the use of sunbeds. If a salon has broken these laws, they could be held liable for any injuries you suffer.
Businesses operating sunbeds have responsibilities, including:
- Checking ID
No one under the age of 18 is allowed to use a sunbed. If the salon has not checked a customer’s ID to prove they were over 18, they have not fulfilled their health and safety obligations.
- Maintenance
They are also required to maintain their sunbeds to ensure they are safe for use. If a sunbed is faulty and causes an injury, the salon could be responsible if they did not carry out regular maintenance.
- Proper instruction
If you are not told how to properly use the sunbed, the salon could be liable for any sunbed burns or injuries you suffer. They should also advise you to wear protective goggles, that they provide.
- Warning customers
Businesses must make sure you know the risks of sunbed use. They should give you recommended exposure times and warn you about the dangers associated with extending that exposure.
If the salon did not meet its responsibilities to you, it could be possible to sue them for any sunbed burns or related skin damage you suffer.
How much compensation can I claim for a sunbed injury?
The circumstances around your sunbed burn or accident will be unique. This makes it difficult to say exactly what you might be entitled to without hearing about what happened.
Our Compensation Calculator could give you an idea of what you might be entitled to for a specific injury.
You could also be able to make a claim for any financial impact your injury has had on you. For example, if you had to stop working after your injury and lost earnings, you could be compensated for this. You can also receive compensation for any medical treatment you needed.
Talk to our team to find out more about the compensation you could be entitled to.
How can I fund my sunbed accident claim?
In most cases, you’ll be able to make an injury claim on a No Win No Fee basis. This means there is no upfront cost and you don’t have to pay your solicitor any fees if your claim is unsuccessful.
This kind of claim takes away any financial risk to you, meaning that justice is accessible.
If your claim is successful, your solicitor will take a success fee. This will be up to 25% of your final compensation amount, but won’t be any more than that.
Only pay a fee if you receive compensation
Our No Win No Fee solicitors will take a success fee from the compensation you are awarded for a successful claim in the form of a percentage of your damages. This could be up to 25% but it won't be more than that, except in cases of road traffic accidents. Changing laws mean our solicitors will now take a payment of 35% of the final compensation amount plus VAT for all road traffic accident claims.
First4Lawyers are an award-winning claims management company with a track record of delivering service that our clients love.
Why should I make a sunbed injury claim?
If you’ve been hurt because of the negligence of a salon employee, there’s a chance that you’re not the only one.
By making a claim, you will alert the business to what went wrong. This can help them fix the problem and stop it happening to anyone else.
You can also get justice through the process of making a claim. A successful claim forces a business to acknowledge that its negligence caused you harm. This is then officially recorded.
How long do I have to make a claim?
You usually have three years from the date of an accident to make a claim. It’s always a good idea to begin a claim as soon as possible. This is because it can be easier to get hold of certain pieces of evidence sooner rather than later.
It can also be easier to remember the details of what happened when you begin a claim soon after the accident.
If you have any questions about how a claim works, just get in touch. Our friendly and professional team are happy to talk you through the process and explain what will happen.
Just give us a call or start your claim online.
Sunbed Injury Claim FAQs
How do I make a personal injury claim?
Just get in contact with us! Our experts will assess the details of your claim and advise you whether you have a case.
We don’t believe in encouraging false claims, so we’ll only advise you to start a claim if we believe you have grounds for doing so.
If you decide to start your claim with us, our advisors will talk you through the next part of the process.
An independent panel of solicitors, selected by First4Lawyers, will determine what your claim is likely to be worth if you are successful.
You’ll then enter into an agreement with your solicitor who will be acting on your behalf to make your claim.
They will then file a letter of claim to the person responsible for causing your accident (the defendant).
For more answers, take a look at our guide on how to make an accident or injury claim
Is there a time limit for making a personal injury claim?
In short, yes. You normally have three years from when you first suffered the injury, or when you were diagnosed subject to the individual circumstances of your case.
Regardless of where you are in the three-year time limit, you can call one of our expert team on 0808 256 8080 and get advice specific to your situation.
Some of the exceptions to the three-year limit are:
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Mental capacity: if the claimant is of limited mental capacity, then there is unlikely to be a time limit.
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Children: if you’re a parent, guardian or you have the legal status of ‘litigation friend’, you can claim on behalf of a child at any time until they are 18. If no claim has been made by that point, that child – now legally an adult – has until their 21st birthday to make a claim.
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If the date you became aware of any negligence (including date of diagnosis) falls outside of the three years, you may still have a valid claim.
Do I qualify to make a personal injury claim?
All circumstances are different, however, if you have suffered or have been injured after an accident or incident which was caused by somebody else's neglect and your claim is within the time frames listed above, then you are likely to have grounds to make a claim.
If you are unsure, or would like to start a claim of your own, you can speak to one of our team on 0808 149 2517.
They will offer guidance based on the details you provide, even if you think that your injuries are not serious, or if you are still receiving treatment for an old injury we may still be able to help. We won't rush you into making a decision and only when you are ready will we proceed with formalising your claim.
Once our team have spoken to you, if we feel you have the grounds for making a claim we will introduce you to one of our specialist personal injury solicitors to take the claim forward.
Take a look at our compensation calculator to see how much your claim could be worth.
How do I fund my compensation claim?
Personal injury solicitors will usually undertake the work based on a no win no fee agreement, also referred to as a CFA (conditional fee agreement). There may be some circumstances where a no win no fee agreement is not available or suitable for your needs and our team will be able to offer further guidance.
Sometimes a solicitor is unable to take your case on a no win no fee basis, but these occasions are rare. Your solicitor will discuss all funding options before proceeding so that everything is clear right from the start.
When thinking about how to fund your claim, you may also want to consider the impact of a compensation payout. If you are reliant on certain benefits, you may find that a compensation figure of a certain amount affects your eligibility.
A personal injury trust will help you keep this money separate, meaning it can’t be taken into account when your benefit entitlements are evaluated.
How can a solicitor help me with my personal injury claim?
Once First4Lawyers has accepted your claim and passed you on to the right solicitor for your case, they will set out the details of your injury and the circumstances in which it happened and build a case for you. You may be required to speak to an expert to support the claim, however, your solicitor will organise this for you.
In most cases the third party must reply within a fixed period and they must either accept or deny liability for the injury you sustained. If they accept liability, your solicitor will attempt to settle the claim and you will be kept informed of any offers made. If they deny liability then your solicitor will inform you of this and go through the next steps.
While your solicitor is communicating with the defendant, they will talk to you about the amount of compensation they believe the claim is worth, they will guide you through any offers made and whether they recommend making an 'offer to settle' for that amount (known as a 'Part 36 offer').
If you are not able, or do not want to, settle out of court your solicitor will advise you on whether to start legal action and what that would entail. If the defendant has said that they are not liable for paying you compensation, your solicitor may advise going to court to challenge this and seek an award in your favour.
Why choose First4Lawyers?
Whether you want to make an accident and injury claim, or need a solicitor for personal or business law matters - our friendly team are here to help, 24/7.
Free initial consultation
Our fully trained legal advisors are happy to offer initial guidance and advice for free
No Win No Fee*
No Win No Fee solicitors - you don't pay a penny up front when making a claim
No pressure
We offer advice with no obligation. We never cold-call or apply pressure to our customers
