£5,000 Compensation For Laser Hair Removal Burn On Back
By Danielle Jordan. Last Updated 30th August 2023. In this personal injury case study we are going to look at the case of Mr N (name has been abbreviated to protect privacy) who suffered a laser hair removal burn on back, after he suffered from laser hair removal negligence. The salon accepted liability for using an IPL machine negligently and he was awarded £5,000 in compensation in an out of court settlement.
This laser hair removal burn on back case was handled by a different law firm, but is illustrative of the types of cases we can conduct. We, Legal Expert are a well respected personal injury solicitor’s firm, who can handle compensation claims for laser hair removal burns and other injuries, caused by laser hair removal gone wrong. Have you experienced laser hair removal negligence at a salon or clinic, which caused you to become injured? Then you might be owed thousands of pounds in compensation. Call Legal Expert on 0800 073 8804 to see if you could make a legitimate claim and how much compensation you are owed.
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- What Are Laser Hair Removal Burns On Back
- What Laser Hair Removal Burns On The Back Did the Claimant Suffer?
- Compensation For Burns Caused By Laser Hair Removal
- No Win No Fee Compensation Claims for Laser Hair Removal Injuries Burns On The Back
- Contact Legal Expert
- Useful Links
What Are Laser Hair Removal Burns On Back
Laser hair removal, and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment are treatments for removing unwanted body hair. They work by targeting the hair follicle with a laser. As you can imagine, laser hair removal has to be used by a trained professional who knows how to operate a laser hair removal machine. If the beauty therapist or technician does not know how to use the machine, or acts negligently they can make an error such as applying too much laser heat, or using the wrong type of laser for the client’s skin type. This can result in the laser targeting the skin rather than the hair follicle, causing a laser hair removal blister or in more serious cases a laser hair removal burn.
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Of course due to legislation such as the Occupiers’ Liability Act of 1957 businesses such as beauty salons and laser hair removal clinics have a duty of care under law towards protecting customers, staff and other persons who visit their premises. Therefore, if a customer experiences an injury such as a laser hair removal burn due to cosmetic negligence or substandard care, the salon may be able to be found liable for their injuries and will have to pay the client compensation.
What Laser Hair Removal Burns On The Back Did the Claimant Suffer?
Laser hair removal is treated over a series of sessions, as the hair follicle needs to be targeted several times in order to remove the hair on a semi-permanent level. Mr N, who was 35 years old at the time of his injuries, visited a beauty salon to remove the hair which grew on his back. The hair was dark and thick so he found it unsightly and wanted a solution that was more long lasting than waxing. When Mr N arrived at the beauty salon the beauty therapist failed to warn him of the risks of undergoing laser hair removal treatment, including the laser treatment injuries that can happen due to side effects or negligence. Some more serious side effects of laser hair removal treatment include laser hair removal blisters, bruising, bleeding and post treatment infections. Another risk of laser hair removal treatment is hyperpigmentation, which darkens the skin and hypopigmentation which lightens the skin. Darker skinned clients are more vulnerable to hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation injuries and can be increased by improper use of the laser hair removal equipment. Beauty salons and clinics that offer laser hair removal treatment have a legal responsibility to warn clients of the potential risks and side effects of laser hair removal treatment. What’s more, they also have a responsibility to conduct a risk assessment of using the laser hair removal machine, identify hazards that can put clients at risk such as not cleaning the skin properly before treatment, which can cause infections, and put control measures in place to reduce or mitigate these risks of laser treatment injuries .
Unfortunately Mr N was not warned of these risks before he underwent laser hair removal treatment. Because he was not forewarned and did not agree to take on these risks, the beauty salon automatically became liable liable for any injuries Mr N may suffer as a result of the treatment, due to negligence or not. Unfortunately during laser hair removal treatment Mr N suffered a superficial burn to his back. This took a month to heal and afterwards left him with hyperpigmentation. The whole experience was very painful and distressing for Mr N, and caused him psychological damage as an area of his body that already made him self conscious was now discoloured as well.
The Allegation Settlement In This Laser Hair Removal Burn On Back Case
In this case of compensation for a laser hair removal on the back, Mr N contacted an experienced personal injury solicitor who handled the claim. Mr N was able to provide plenty of evidence to support his claim such as photographic evidence, his medical report, receipts for expenses he had experienced associated with his injuries and evidence of days he had missed from his job, all helped the solicitor establish the extent of Mr N’s pain and suffering. Fortunately when the solicitor contacted the beauty salon about the laser treatment injury the beautician was aware of their laser hair removal negligence. They admitted to their laser hair removal mistakes, accepted liability and cooperated with the solicitor. They also agreed to improve health and safety conditions and staff training within their salon to avoid further incidents of laser hair removal gone wrong examples.
For his laser hair removal burn on back injury, for Mr N was awarded £5,000 in general damages, whcih accounted for the pain and suffering caused by his injuries, including the psychological damage. He was also compensated for days he had to take off work, medical expenses, additional travel expenses and money to help him regain his confidence after suffering hyperpigmentation on his back as a result of his laser hair removal burn.
Time Limit For Laser Burn On Back Claims
If you are eligible to seek laser hair removal burn compensation, it is vital that you initiate legal proceedings within the personal injury claims time limit. This is typically 3 years from the date of the laser hair burn as set out in the Limitation Act 1980.
However, in certain circumstances there are exceptions. These include:
- Those under the age of 18 have a pause applied to the limitation period that lasts until their 18th birthday. Before this, a court-appointed litigation friend could bring forward the claim for them. If legal proceedings were not started for them, once they turn 18, they will have three years from their 18th birthday to begin the claiming process.
- Those who lack the mental capacity to make their own claim will have a suspension applied to the time limit that lasts for as long as they are unable to bring forward a claim themselves. During this time, a litigation friend could be appointed to start the process for them. However, if the injured party regains this capacity and a claim was not made for them, they will have three years from the date they recovered this capacity to start the claiming process.
If you have any questions about the limitation period, please get in touch with an advisor from our team.
Compensation For Burns Caused By Laser Hair Removal
In this section, we will discuss how legal professionals calculate compensation for laser hair removal burns. Compensation payouts can include up to two heads: general damages, and special damages.
General damages addresses your injuries, as well as any pain and suffering they cause you. When solicitors are evaluating how much you could receive in general damages, they often use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help them. Below, you can see some examples of guideline compensation brackets regarding burn injuries taken from the JCG:
| Injury | Compensation Bracket | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Very Severe Scarring | £29,780 to £97,330 | Where there is a strong psychological reaction and very severe cosmetic effect in a typically younger claimant. |
| Less Severe Scarring | £17,960 to £48,420 | This bracket contains substantial disfigurement and significant psychological reaction. |
| Significant Scarring | £9,110 to £30,090 | Plastic surgery reduces the worst effects in this bracket, and the psychological effect is not great. |
| Trivial Scarring | £1,710 to £3,530 | This bracket considers cases in which the effects are minor. |
| Scarring to Other Parts of the Body | £2,370 to £7,830 | A single noticeable scare or several scars that are superficial on the arms, legs, or hands, causing some cosmetic deficit. |
Special damages can help you recoup financial losses caused by your burn injuries. For example, special damages could cover the cost of medical bills, travel between appointments, and cosmetic aids.
Our solicitors are on hand to help you claim compensation for burns. Injury claims for laser hair removal burns can seem less daunting with the help of a legal professional. Contact our team today to learn more.
Claiming For A Laser Burn With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
If you are eligible to claim for a burn from laser hair removal, you may wish to have the support of a solicitor. One of our personal injury solicitors could help. They usually provide their services under the terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement.
When your solicitor works on your claim under the terms of a CFA, they usually won’t ask you to pay upfront or ongoing fees towards their services. Additionally, you won’t be asked to pay for their work on your case if you aren’t awarded compensation following an unsuccessful claim.
However, if the outcome of your claim is successful, your solicitor will deduct a success fee out of your compensation. The amount that can be taken as this fee is a percentage that is subject to a legal cap.
To discuss your claim eligibility and the legal process, get in touch with one of the advisors on our team. If you have valid grounds for a claim, you could be passed onto one of our solicitors.
To get in touch:
- Fill in our claim online form for a call back.
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Use our live chat feature.
Useful Links
A Guide To Claiming Compensation For Laser Hair Removal Burns on Legs
Find out how much compensation you could claim compensation for laser hair removal burns on your legs. Burn injury claims are very common with laser hair removal.
Burn Injury Compensation Claims
For free legal advice on burn injuries contact us today.
Health Spa Accident Claims
Find out how much you could claim for accidents and injuries in a health spa.
An NHS Guide to Laser Hair Removal
A guide by the NHS to how laser hair removal works.
Good Skin Days Guide To Laser Hair Removal Burns
A guide to laser hair removal burns.
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