A Guide To Calculating Compensation For A Barber Cutting Your Ear

If you have decided to make a personal injury claim after suffering a cut ear while at the barbers, you may be wondering, ”How much compensation could you claim for a barber cutting your ear?”. In this guide, we begin by looking at how compensation could be calculated should you suffer an injury to your ear while having a haircut at the barbershop.

Injuries caused by a barber could include more than just a cut ear; cuts and lacerations, as well as infections contracted by being cut with an unsterilised tool such as scissors or a razor, could also occur. Therefore we also look at when you could be eligible to make a public liability claim against a barber or hair stylist. Evidence is crucial to any compensation claim, so we provide a list of useful proof you could use to support your case as well as a look at how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help.

If you have any questions about what you could claim or whether you are eligible to do so, you can get in touch with our team.

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Learn more about what you could claim if a barber cuts you in our guide below.

A barber trims a man's bread which could cause a hairdresser injury.

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How Much Compensation Could You Claim For A Barber Cutting Your Ear?

If you are making a personal injury claim after a barber has injured your ear, you will want to know, “How much compensation could you claim for a barber cutting your ear?” Public liability compensation settlements may be made up of two different components. These are general damages and special damages.

General damages compensate you for your physical injuries and psychological impact. To help evaluate this part of your payout, those tasked with valuing a hairdressing injury claim may refer to the compensation guidelines published by the Judicial College (JCG). The JCG contains a variety of different injuries and levels of severity with guideline compensation amounts.

In this table, we have included examples of injuries which you could have suffered if a barber cut you. Public liability claim payouts are unique to your case, and the amounts provided in the table are merely guidance. Please note that the top entry does not form part of the JCG.

General Damages Compensation Calculator

InjurySeverityPayout
Multiple serious injuries and special damagesMultiple serious injuriesUp to £150,000+
Facial disfigurementVery severe scarring£36,340 to £118,790
Facial disfigurementLess severe scarring£21,920 to £59,090
Facial disfigurementSignificant scarring£11,120 to £36,720
Facial disfigurementLess significant scarring £4,820 to £16,770
Facial disfigurementTrivial scarring£2,080 to £4,310

What Are Special Damages?

In addition to general damages you may be awarded what are called special damages. These are damages calculated to compensate you for any past and future financial losses which you have incurred due to your injuries.

Examples of special damages could include,

  • Medical expenses, treatment costs or the cost of medication. As a result of your injury, you may need to pay for medication, prescriptions to prevent or treat infection or cosmetic care for the ear.
  • Travel expenses you could be reimbursed for could include the cost of travelling to and from medical appointments.
  • Loss of earnings or workplace benefits due to taking time off work with an infection or for medical care.

You will need to provide evidence of costs and losses, such as invoices or receipts for expenses and bank statements to show losses.

Learn more about how to sue a barber or call our team now to check if you could claim compensation.

When Are You Eligible To Claim If A Barber Cut Your Ear?

You might be eligible to claim personal injury compensation if you sustained an injury due to a barber or hairdresser’s negligence. When you go to a barber’s or hair salon for a haircut, shave or other treatment, you expect the hairdresser or barber to have taken reasonable steps to ensure your relative safety. This is the duty of care that is owed to you.

A barber cutting your hair or shaving you owes you a duty of care to use tools which are properly maintained and sterilised. Hair stylists and barbers should also use their tools in a way which is safe and should ensure that they do not cause you any injuries. If they are employed by a hair salon, then the salon or barber shop owes you this same duty of care.

In order to have good grounds to file a barber/hairdresser injury compensation claim, you must meet the claim eligibility requirements. This means that you must prove that:

  • The barber shop or barber owed you a duty of care to ensure your reasonable safety.
  • They breached this duty. For example, by using inappropriate scissors too close to your face or scalp.
  • You sustained a cut to your ear as a result.

Find out if you have grounds to make a hairdressing injury claim by calling our team. If you do, a team member can discuss how much compensation you could claim for a barber cutting your ear. Read on to learn why evidence plays an important role in making a claim.

What Evidence Do You Need If A Barber Cuts You?

An important part of any hairdressing or barber compensation claim is collecting evidence which supports your claim. Evidence is a crucial part of your claim, as the onus will be on you, the claimant, to ensure that you can prove that the injury you suffered happened because the barber was negligent.

Evidence which could support your personal injury compensation claim could include,

  • Photo or video evidence. This may be internal CCTV that shows the incident taking place, photos of the injury over time, or photos of the equipment used.
  • Medical evidence. This may include medical records from a GP surgery or hospital where you got treatment. Additionally, as part of the claims process, you may be invited to have an independent medical assessment, which could be organised by your solicitor if you have chosen to use one.
  • Witness details. This could include details of anyone who saw the injury happen so they can provide a statement later on.
  • A diary of your health. This could record the injury, what treatment you have had to get and any impact this has had on you.

To find out more about how to prove your claim, please contact our team.

An evidence book which could impact how much compensation you could claim for a barber cutting your ear.

What Is The Time Limit For Claiming Public Liability Compensation?

You should be aware that there are time limits and limitation periods for which you must abide by when suing a barbershop or hairdressing salon for injuries. If you were to fail to start your claim within the limitation period, it would become statute-barred, and you would no longer be able to pursue compensation. Under the Limitation Act 1980 claimants will (generally) have three years in which to bring a claim. This period is taken from the date of the injury taking place.

There are some exceptions to this rule. If, at the time of the incident, the claimant was under the age of eighteen, they would not be able to pursue their own personal injury claim. A responsible adult, such as the child’s parent, can apply to the court to be what is known as a Litigation Friend and claim on their behalf. If no claim is made by the time the claimant reaches adulthood the 3 year time limit for them to start the claim themselves will begin.

Time limits also differ for those who lack the mental capacity to bring a claim on their own behalf. In such cases the time limit is suspended indefinitely. At any point during this period a Litigation Friend can bring a claim on their behalf.

Find out more about the time limit for public liability claims or a valuation of how much compensation you could claim for a barber cutting your ear by contacting us.

Can I Use A No Win No Fee Solicitor To Claim Compensation?

If you choose to make a claim for cuts and lacerations caused by a barber, a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel could help you. A personal injury solicitor could offer their services through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). A CFA is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement. In general, under a CFA you will not have to pay any upfront fees or ongoing costs towards your solicitor’s services.

If your claim is not successful and you are not awarded compensation, you will not need to make any payments for the solicitor’s work. You may be asking, ‘How much do solicitors take for No Win No Fee if your case is successful?’. Your solicitor will take what is called a success fee. This is a legally capped fee charged as a percentage of your award. This percentage is capped to make sure you keep the majority of your settlement.

To find out if you could make a No Win No Fee claim with one of the personal injury solicitors from our panel, use the channels below to speak to an advisor. Even if you are not sure whether you want to make a personal injury claim, the solicitors can provide free legal advice.

To learn more about how much compensation you could claim for a barber cutting your ear:

A No Win No Fee solicitor explains the personal injury claims process.

More Resources About Hairdressing Compensation Claims

Below you can find related guides on public liability claims and how a specialist solicitor could help you.

External resources that might be useful:

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