How Much Compensation For Botched Body Piercing Negligence?
By Lewis Cobain. Last Updated 26th January 2023. Body piercings have become exceptionally popular in the UK over the past few years. More and more people are searching for piercing ideas online so that they can find a unique piercing – something different from the standard ear piercing. While the vast majority of piercings are carried out without complication, there are a high number of cases that lead to unpleasant symptoms and even hospital admission. If this is something that has happened to you, there is an extremely high chance that you will be entitled to compensation. To find out more, read on.
Select a section:
- A guide to botched body piercing claims.
- Body piercings – What Is A Body Piercing?
- What are the risks of body piercing procedures?
- How To Claim For A Body Piercing Gone Wrong
- How to begin a body piercing negligence claim.
- What can be claimed for following body piercing negligence?
- A salon pierced my under 18 child without my consent and with a consent form can I sue?
- Infection following my piercing can I claim compensation?
- Allergic to the jewellery used following my piercing can I claim compensation?
- Loss of feeling in the area where I have had my piercing can I claim compensation?
- The most common types of body piercing negligence.
- How much compensation will I get following a botched body piercing?
- No Win No Fee body piercing claims.
- Why choose us as your claims service for a botched body piercing claim?
- Call for free advice and to start a claim.
A guide to botched body piercing claims
While the procedures for body piercings that are in place are safe, there are cases that do go wrong. If a trained professional has not carried out your piercing, they may have followed the incorrect procedure. Alternatively, someone may have used the wrong equipment or failed to clean it properly. Quite clearly, there are a number of different circumstances that could occur and cause complications. No matter what applies to you, if you have been injured as the consequence of a botched body piercing, there is an extremely high chance that you will be entitled to compensation. That’s what we are here to help with.
We have many years of experience in securing compensation for personal injury victims, including those that have suffered due to a botched body piercing. We can help you to get the maximum amount of compensation you are entitled to. But, before you give us a call, why not read on to find out everything you need to know regarding these claims? In this guide, you will find information on everything from eligibility and making a claim to average compensation payout amounts and tips on collating evidence.
Body piercings – What Is A Body Piercing?
Body piercings are when a puncture is made in the skin to accommodate body jewellery. Body piercers have a duty of care towards their customers.
The Health and Care Act 2022 is relevant in relation to certain cosmetic procedures, including body piercings. It states that people who perform cosmetic procedures need a license to do so. These licenses are issued by the local council. Once you’ve obtained a license, you can only practice this procedure in the premises where the license applies.
There are pieces of legislation that are relevant in administering body piercings. For example, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 outlines the requirements for handling substances that can harm individuals. This will be appropriate if a piercer needs to dispose of a needle or body jewellery that has come into contact with blood or tissue.
Furthermore, the party in control of a piercing shop owes a duty of care according to the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. This states that they need to take steps to ensure the reasonable safety of those who visit the space.
For more information on claiming if the negligence of a body piercer has resulted in you being harmed unnecessarily, speak with an advisor today.
What are the risks of body piercing procedures?
There are a number of risks associated with body piercing procedures, including infection, swelling, bleeding, and scarring. If the procedure is carried out correctly, you should not encounter any of these risks. However, if the procedure is not carried out as it should be, infections can easily occur. The level of risk does depend on the body part that is being pierced, so let’s take a look in further detail:
- Nose piercings: Nose piercings come with a higher infection risk because the inner surface of the nose is not easy to disinfect.
- Ear cartilage piercings: Ear cartilage piercings, i.e. those at the top of the ear, carry greater risk than earlobe piercings. This is because the underlying cartilage and the skin are extremely close together, which can cause pus to become trapped, which leads to abscess development and infection.
- Genital piercings: Genital piercings can make urination and sex painful and difficult.
- Tongue piercings: Tongue piercings can lead to chipped teeth and speech impediments.
- There is also the risk that airways will be blocked if the tongue swells.
How To Claim For A Body Piercing Gone Wrong
After suffering a personal injury, it’s important that you can prove the extent of your injuries and that the defendant acted negligently resulting in you suffering harm in order to claim. Additionally, you’ll be asked to prove any financial losses if you are eligible to claim special damages.
We recommend you first seek medical attention. It’s important for your health and
Body piercing
wellbeing to see a medical professional no matter what types of body piercing you have had done incorrectly. You may be at risk of infection and suffering further injuries. Additionally, a diagnosis from a medical professional can be used as evidence in your claim.
In order to make a claim, you will need to collect evidence. You could take photographs of your injury or infection. For example, if an ear piercing has gone wrong, photograph your ear injury. The shop where you went may also have CCTV footage, which you should request. Any bank statements or invoices may also prove any financial harm you suffered because of your injuries.
We would always recommend you seek legal advice. A solicitor will be able to advise you on the best way to move forward.
If you would like to be put in touch with expert personal injury solicitors that have years of experience helping clients successfully settle their claims, speak to us and we can potentially arrange this. Our legal advice is free, and you won’t be obligated to use our services afterwards if you don’t want to.
How to begin a body piercing negligence claim
No matter whether you are making a claim against piercing shops in Widnes, Newcastle, or anywhere else in the UK, the process is really easy when you work with us. All you need to do is give us a call and our team will be more than happy to assist. We begin every relationship with a free consultancy session. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions, but also for us to ask some queries too. This is so we can understand what happened and provide you with the best advice. We can also arrange a local medical for you if required, free of charge.
What can be claimed for following body piercing negligence?
When launching a body piercing negligence case, you can claim for the following:
- General damages – This payout is to cover the pain and suffering you have experienced.
- Medical expenses
- Loss of earnings
- Travel expenses
- Care claim – If someone has helped you around the house during your recovery, they will be able to make a care claim.
A salon pierced my under 18 child without my consent and with a consent form can I sue?
As per the regulations that are in place in the industry, any child that is under the age of 18-years-old needs to have consent from a parent or guardian. If a salon has pierced your child without your consent or the consent of your partner, you will be able to launch a claim. After all, the person that has performed the procedure has broken the rules and regulations that are in place. Simply give us a call today and we will help you to get started.
Infection following my piercing can I claim compensation?
An infection is the most common complication associated with any type of body piercing. Infections can happen in many different ways – perhaps the jewellery used was not sterilised, maybe you were not supplied with the correct information on aftercare, or perhaps the person performing the piercing used a needle that had been used on someone else. No matter what happens, so long as you can prove that the salon is at fault for the infection you have encountered, you can make a claim.
Allergic to the jewellery used following my piercing can I claim compensation?
If you are allergic to the jewellery that has been used following your piercing, you will be able to make a claim so long as the person that carried out the piercing is at fault. There are a number of ways they could be to blame, including failing to ask you about allergies, using jewellery that was not sterilised, or using jewellery knowing that you were likely to have an allergic reaction. If you are unsure as to whether the salon is to blame and, therefore, whether you have the basis for a claim, all you need to do is give us a call.
Loss of feeling in the area where I have had my piercing can I claim compensation?
If you are experiencing a loss of feeling in the area that was pierced, you will, most certainly, be able to make a compensation claim. This is especially the case if the symptom persists. This is something that should not happen after a piercing, especially for a prolonged period of time. The best thing to do is give us a call today and we will ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation you are entitled to.
The most common types of body piercing negligence
Body piercing negligence occurs when the procedure is not carried out properly. Some common examples include:
- The person performing the piercing has not given you instructions on what to do if there is a problem or how to ensure your new piercing heals correctly.
- The person performing the piercing has not cleaned the area that is being pierced with germicidal soap. This is a soap that kills disease-causing microorganisms and bacteria. The only exception to this is the tongue.
- The person performing the piercing does not us a new, clean needle.
- The person performing the piercing does not use the correct equipment.
- The jewellery used has not been sterilised.
- The person performing the piercing has not received the correct training.
How much compensation will I get following a botched body piercing?
We cannot provide the average compensation for a soft tissue injury in the UK, or for other harm caused by negligent body piercing. This is because various factors will be considered when calculating your compensation, such as how severe your injury is and its impact on you.
Your compensation could include both general and special damages. General damages addresses the pain and suffering you experience as a result of your injury.
Solicitors also use the amounts listed in the Judicial College Guidance (JCG) as a guide when calculating the value of general damages. The amounts in the table are from the recent update of the JCG in 2022.
| Reason for compensation | Typical compensation amount | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Loss of speech | £109,650 to £140,660 | Such cases involve serious issues in regards to a person’s ability to speak normally. |
| Facial disfigurement – very severe scarring | £29,780 to £97,330 | The relatively young claimant experiences a severe mental reaction to a very disfiguring facial scar(s). |
| Facial disfigurement – less severe scarring | £17,960 to £48,420 | The claimant experiences a significant mental reaction to substantial facial scarring. |
| Facial disfigurement -significant scarring | £9,110 to £30,090 | If there was a psychological reaction, it has diminished to minor levels to significant scarring. The worst of which has been or will be reduced by cosmetic surgery. |
| Facial disfigurement – Trivial scarring | £1,710 to £3,530 | This relates to cases whereby the effect is minor only. |
| Facial disfigurement – less significant scarring | £3,950 to £13,740 | A marred affect on appearance from one scar or many very small scars. |
| Psychological injuries moderately severe | £19,070 – £54,830 | These cases are similar to the above, yet the prognosis will be more optimistic. |
| Scarring to other parts of the body More severe | £7,830 -£22,730 | This payout is for cases where there is a single disfiguring scar or a number of noticeable scars. |
| Scarring to other parts of the body – Moderate | £2,370 – £7,830 | This is for cases whereby there are a number of superficial scars or one noticeable scar, as well as some minor cosmetic deficit. |
If you are eligible to claim special damages, you could be compensated for any related financial losses you have experienced. This could include loss of earnings, travel costs or care expenses.
To successfully claim special damages, you would need to provide evidence such as receipts and payslips.
As an alternative to a soft tissue injury compensation calculator, get in touch with our advisors for a comprehensive estimate of your claim.
No Win No Fee body piercing claims
You will be pleased to know that all of our solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis. This means that anyone is able to make a personal injury claim, irrespective of their current financial standing. This is because you won’t need any cash to start up your claim, and you are only going to pay legal fees if your case is a success. If, for some reason, we do not manage to secure compensation for you, you won’t have a penny to pay. Sounds good, right?
There are actually many other knock-on benefits of going down the No Win No Fee route. For instance, you can rest assured that we will not waste your time and that we will only take on cases that have a genuine chance of success. If you were to use the services of a solicitor that charged per hour, there would always be the risk that they were merely taking on your case to take your money. After all, they are not impacted by the outcome of the claim. This is why it is always better to go for a No Win No Fee solicitor.
Why choose us as your claims service for a botched body piercing claim?
No matter whether you want to make a claim for a belly or nose piercing that has gone wrong, there is only one company that you should use! We have many years of experience in the industry and an exceptional reputation to back it up. You can rest assured that you are in safe hands when you work with us. You only need to look at the feedback that has been left by our past clients to see that this is the case.
One thing that makes us different from other personal injury law firms is the fact that we genuinely care about our clients. We can assure you that you will receive our full amount of attention and efforts at all time. We want you to focus on your recovery while we focus on getting you the compensation that you deserve. This is why we aim to resolve all cases in an efficient manner. Nonetheless, we will always be at the end of the telephone if you need us or want an update on the case.
Call for free advice and to start a claim
If you want to make a claim for a body piercing that has gone wrong, all you need to do is give us a call on 0800 073 8804. You will speak to an experienced and friendly member of our team who will be more than happy to answer any queries you may have. If you are ready to proceed, they will connect you with one of our leading No Win No Fee solicitors who will be with you every step of the way. It is always our aim to secure the maximum amount of compensation for our clients, so you can rest assured that we will do all in our power to make sure this is the case.
Helpful links
This link takes you to the NHS page on body piercing, where you will find plenty of helpful information. This includes details on self care, symptoms of an infection, when to get medical advice, risks, and licensed piercers.
Government’s tattooists piercing and electrolysis licence
This takes you to the UK Government’s website, where you will be able to find information on the tattoo, piercing, and electrolysis licence.
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