Beauty salons, nail salons, and day spas in Hollywood, Homestead, Miami, and other South Florida cities are plentiful and these businesses are designed to help customers feel beautiful and pampered. As part of a highly competitive business, these companies often offer a range of services, and over the years some of these services have become increasingly sophisticated. Some offer treatments, such as microdermabrasion, once reserved for doctors.
Tens of millions of women in South Florida visit salons and day spas each day and most leave with a new look. Unfortunately, each year some customers of these establishments are seriously injured. If you have been injured at a day spa or through any beauty treatment service, get legal advice about your situation. You may have a personal injury claim in Hollywood or your South Florida community.
There are many types of injuries that can occur in a salon or day spa, including:
1) Slip and fall accidents.
Cut hair, spilled hair products, and other slippery surfaces need to be cleaned off the floor quickly. If salons and spas are not diligent and someone is injured as a result, the salon can find themselves facing litigation.
2) Burn injuries.
Hairdryers, curling irons, wax, and even nail-drying equipment can heat up enough to cause serious burns if heated to excess or used incorrectly. Even some of the chemicals used in salons can cause severe second-degree burns (or worse) if left on too long.
3) Infections.
When salons are not careful about cleaning equipment and maintaining cleanliness, infections can occur. Infections can especially occur with manicures and pedicures, where skin is pushed back and may be cut. Waxing has also been linked to infections, since sometimes the skin can become ripped or damaged during the process, putting the customer at risk of infection.
4) Lacerations, cuts, and disfigurement.
Salon professionals use scissors and other sharp instruments as well as strong chemicals as part of their trade. Incorrectly using the instruments and equipment at a salon can lead to injuries.
5) Head injuries caused by falling equipment.
Heavy lamps, light fixtures, ceiling tiles, mirrors, and dryers can fall and cause injuries if the salon is not carefully maintained to ensure all equipment is safe.
6) Beauty parlor strokes.
This relatively rare condition, known as iatrogenic arterial injury, occurs when a patient has their neck stretched back as part of a beauty treatment – usually during hair washing in a sink before a haircut. The injury happens if the neck is so overextended that vertebrae can cut into an artery, causing blood clots in the brain and even strokes. Common symptoms including tingling sensations in the neck area and slurred speech. The injury can be prevented with correctly adjusted seats and sinks which don’t require customers to bend their necks back too far.
Even if you choose a salon carefully, you may find yourself injured. While salons are required to carry insurance to protect you in case this happens, these businesses often take steps to reduce liability. Many day spas and salons, for example, may require customers to sign waivers before wax treatments, tanning bed sessions, and other services.
If you have been injured at a beauty salon or spa in Miami, Hollywood, Homestead, or anywhere in South Florida, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation. Our attorneys have more than six decades of combined experience and a reputation for advocating on behalf of injured clients.