Hand injury caused by steam compensation
Hand injuries can be devastating, often affecting ability to work or carry out daily tasks. If your hand is injured by steam, depending on the degree of scalding, you may be unable to use your hands for days or months. This is one of the reasons why steam burn compensation amounts vary.
In this guide, we’ll explain what steam injuries are and what circumstances could make you eligible for a personal injury claim for compensation.
If you would like to discuss your case for free and with no obligation to pursue a claim, call 0800 408 7825 24 hours a day seven days a week.
Select a Section
- A Guide To Calculate Compensation For A Hand Injury Caused By Steam
- What Are Steam Burn Compensation Amounts?
- Financial Loss From Hand Steam Incidents
- How Can A Steam Incident Occur?
- Receive A Care Claim
- Explain A Compensation Settlement Value
- Case Study: £7,500 Compensation For A Hand Injury Caused By Steam
- Steam Burn Compensation Amounts Calculation Estimates
- No Win No Fee
- Uncover The Right Personal Injury Lawyers
- Take Action
- Final Reading
A Guide To Calculate Compensation For A Hand Injury Caused By Steam
This guide aims to bring clarity to questions commonly asked such as:
- Can I make a personal injury claim?
- What should I do after an accident at work?
- How much can I claim for a hand injury?
We also explain the claims process, advising on what duty of care a third party who may have caused your accident is to uphold under law.
After reading through, you should have an understanding of the claims process, how your compensation claim could be valued and we include an example case study to demonstrate the personal injury claims process.
What Are Steam Burn Compensation Amounts?
Steam burn compensation amounts can be awarded if your scalding injury was caused through negligence. A breach in the duty of care that a third party owed to you. Steam inflicts different degrees of burns, depending on temperature and how long the hand was kept in contact with the steam. So compensation amounts can hugely vary.
Whether you deserve to be compensated will be determined by whether a third party had a duty of care to uphold and never and whether your injury was a direct consequence of this. To hold a valid claim your circumstances must meet certain criteria and your claim must have not reached its limitation period.
Duty of care
Employers have a duty of care (responsibility) under law to reasonably act to prevent you and your colleagues from workplace accidents. Accidents in the workplace may damage your psychological or physical health, safety and wellbeing. Duty may be breached when employers fail to do things such as:
- provide adequate training.
- alert you to risks in a way that you can understand.
- maintain equipment to safe standards.
As an employee, you also have a duty to protect yourself and those around you and reasonably as you can.
Outside of your normal workplace, third parties (such as the council) also have a duty of care when you are a visitor on their property or in a public space. The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 outlines that third parties must ensure you are reasonably safe and aren’t at risk of being injured when on their premises.
You may be entitled to claim if you believe:
- The occupier didn’t warn you of the risks of steam burns.
- An independent contractor didn’t sufficiently tell you of the dangers because the occupier didn’t inform them correctly.
- Health and safety legislation was not adhered to.
Our team of advisors are able to discuss what duties your employer or a third party may have breached and any reasonable justifications you may have had for putting yourself or others at risk. Their number is at the top of the page alternatively you can also message them 24/7 in the live chatbox.
Financial Loss From Hand Steam Incidents
The degree of injury can impact steam burn compensation amounts, but may also affect how much you may have lost or will lose financially. For example, as a consequence of the incident, you may have:
- been unable to work.
- paid for special care.
- had a family member or friend care for you.
The above are able to be claimed and recovered if your claim is successful. Personal injury lawyers will discuss anything you believe you lost out on financially due to your hand burn; from travel expenses for medical appointments to losing your workplace attendance bonus.
If you’d like to talk to our advisors about your financial loss, call them for free (and with no requirement to use our services) on the number at the top of the screen. We also have a live chatbox on this page, available 24/7.
How Can A Steam Incident Occur?
If you had your steam accident at work, you may have been injured by faulty steam generators (fired boilers, waste heat boilers, electric boilers, etc.) because your employer didn’t maintain them effectively. You may have also been injured at work due to everyday appliances, such as a steam burn from a kettle.
You may have been an unsuspecting, passing visitor injured in a public place or on third-party property. For example:
- Bitumen emulsions are often used in roadworks but the hazard of using it includes steam scalds to those in close proximity.
- Steam pipework can rupture if not pressure-tested before operating and not insulated properly.
However your workplace accident or accident in a public place occurred, provided it was caused by steam, your injury would be medically recorded as ‘scalding’ rather than a burn. According to the NHS, a burn is caused by dry heat, but scalding is caused by something wet.
The severity of your scalding will affect how much you may receive in compensation. Scalding is classed under the three degrees of burn:
- First-degree: least severe; perhaps painful but no blisters or open areas; treatable at home.
- Second-degree: inner and outer layers of skin damaged; skin is red, moist and blistering; can be treated at home, in a clinic or skin grafting may be necessary (for deep burns).
- Third-degree: outer and inner layers destroyed; white, dark or leathery skin; usually treated in hospital; grafting may be needed; usually takes more than 3 weeks to heal.
Receive A Care Claim
The dexterity of our hands can be integral to the quality of our work and personal lives. Therefore, some claimants need additional care, which can increase steam burn compensation amounts.
As a result of the incident:
- Did your friend or relative cook and care for you?
- Were they paid for helping around the house or garden?
- Did you need help with childcare?
If you think you may have been cared for in other ways, call our advisors and through a free consultation, you can have your questions answered. Call our team of advisors for free advice today on the number at the top of the screen.
Explain a Compensation Settlement Value
It’s important to the court that any injuries you claim compensation for were caused by the steam incident. (Pre-existing conditions may affect your claim, but your solicitor can use medical professional advice as support if your pre-existing condition was worsened due to the steam burn accident.)
You may have already sought medical attention for scalding to your hand. Whether you visited a GP or hospital, this will have been the first medical recording of your injury or multiple injuries.
Steam Burn Compensation Amounts
As part of the personal injury claims process, you may meet with an independent medical professional. Therefore if you choose to use a solicitor they can arrange this for you. As a result, they’ll do a thorough check-up and create a report for the court. Your solicitor will use the findings to inform their valuation of your compensation for general damages. General damages are awarded for the pain and suffering caused by the injuries.
In contrast,special damages include any financial loss you have accrued and additional care provided due to the steam burn accident, even if ongoing. Whatever you are able to recover in special damages will be added to your general damages, totalling your hand injury compensation amount. However, you must provide evidence of financial loss through documents such as:
- Transport tickets (to and from appointments).
- Medical/care bills.
- Receipts of items for house adaptation.
If you’d like free-of-charge advice on your case, call our team on the number at the top of the page alternatively make use of our live chatbox feature.
Case Study: £7,500 Compensation For A Hand Injury Caused By Steam
Mrs Smith worked in a launderette for several months and was particularly efficient at using the steamer. At the beginning of her shift one day, she noticed that a new steamer had replaced the one she was used to. She asked a senior colleague to train her on how to use the steamer, but they were too busy to help.
Carefully, she began to use it, but her hand was quickly scalded by the steam at 200°F. She suffered third-degree burns to her dominant, right hand. Understandably she was in severe pain and called a taxi to take her to the local A and E department. Apart from the pain, Mrs Smith was feeling incredibly anxious.
Mrs Smith was diagnosed with third-degree burns to her hand. Her hand was bandaged to protect fro infection. Thankfully, her neighbour offered to clean for her and her friend cooked and cared for her in the evenings. Mrs Smith was clearly anxious about the injury and being able to return to work as soon as she could. Along with her anxiety, she also felt disappointed about the whole incident.
Anxious about her finances, she got in touch with a personal injury solicitor. The defendant (her employer) argued that she had been sufficiently trained, but they couldn’t provide evidence to support this. Her solicitor was able to recover £7,500 through medical evidence and the accident log in her employer’s logbook. This settlement included special and general damages.
| Type of Special Damages: | Includes: | How much?: |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Expenses | To and from appointments/treatment | Taxi to and from appointments: £100 |
| Medication/Prescription | Prescriptions, treatment, physiotherapy, walking aids, etc. | Painkillers: £45 |
| Future Loss | Loss of Earnings, future loss of earnings, potential future care. | Work absence: £1,500 |
| Cleaning/Gardening/Cooking | Cleaning, gardening, areas that requires consistent attention. | Neighbour cleaning: £400 |
Though just an example, the case of Mrs Smith is informed by our experiences of handling and valuing personal injury claims and intends to illustrate the valuation of claims.
Steam Burn Compensation Amounts – Calculation Estimates
The case above is unique to that client in particular, as yours will be. Moreover, your physical and psychological health, as well as your quality of life, may have been impacted by your accident, the severity of which increases steam burn compensation amounts. Therefore, your personal injury solicitor should guide you (based on fact and evidence) on what you may be entitled to.
If you’d prefer to query your case before making a decision on which solicitor to use, call our team of advisors for free (and with no obligation to use our panel’s services). Their number is at the top of the screen.
No Win No Fee
Under law, a Conditional Fee Agreement (No Win No Fee agreement) can be used to make personal injury claims. It is best suited for those who deserve compensation but are unable to fund a solicitor.
Essentially, if you don’t win your case, you will not pay your solicitor fees. But if you do win, you’ll be expected to reward your solicitor for sharing the risk of the outcome with a small fee (which is legally limited).
Finally, The personal injury solicitors on our panel offer Conditional Fee Agreements and have the expertise to ensure your case is filed correctly. Our advisors are also well-equipped to discuss No Win No Fee for free if you call our number at the top of the screen or use the live chat box feature.
Uncover The Right Personal Injury Lawyers
After the stress of a workplace accident or accidents in public places, choosing the right solicitor for your needs to be less stressful, especially because choices of a solicitor can affect steam burn compensation amounts.
When searching for a lawyer, we recommend a professional who is:
- Not willing to settle for less than you could deserve.
- Responsive to your calls and emails.
- Has good online reviews which are impartial.
Call our advisors today. They are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Take Action
To conclude, you can contact us free of charge about anything relating to your personal injury. From steam burn compensation amounts to road traffic accidents, our advisors can help you:
- Call 0800 408 7825
- Alternatively, our contact form
- Our live chat box feature on the bottom-right of this page.
Final Reading
Minor Burns and Scalds – NHS information for patients.
Overview: Burns and Scalds – Thorough NHS guidance on treatment, recovery, complications and prevention surrounding burns and scalding.
Minor Burns and Scalds to Adults – St. John Ambulance advice on immediate first aid treatment of burns and scalding.
Lacerated Hand Compensation Case Study Guide – Our guide on personal injury claims relating to lacerated hands.
Crushed Hand Compensation Case Study Guide – Our guide on how to claim compensation for a crushed hand.
Members of the Public Accident Claims Hot Spots – Find out where accidents are most likely to occur in the UK.
Article by UI
Publisher EC.