No Win, No FeeBody piercing has become more popular over recent years. You might, therefore, be surprised to know that body piercing is unregulated in the UK. While many people are happy with the outcome of their piercing, some customers can suffer injuries or become ill following negligence during their procedure. In this guide, we’ll explain when you could make a botched body piercing injury claim and we’ll review what any settlement you receive could cover.
We can help if you’d like to know more about claiming for body piercing injuries. Firstly, we’ll review your case with you and assess whether you might be eligible to claim compensation. Then, if your claim is strong enough, we could partner you with one of our personal injury lawyers. They’ll work for you on a No Win, No Fee basis if they accept your claim meaning they’ll try to secure compensation on your behalf without any upfront payment of legal fees.
Please call us on 0800 652 1345 if you’d like to discuss a body piercing injury claim or read on to learn more before getting in touch.
Can I claim compensation for an injury from a botched body piercing?
So that we don’t waste your time, we’ll always be honest about the chances of securing compensation for a body piercing injury. If you wish to claim compensation for suffering resulting from a botched body piercing, one of our specialist solicitors will assess whether:
- The body piercer acted negligently during your piercing; and
- You were made ill or suffered an injury as a direct result of their negligence.
As you can imagine, it can be quite hard to prove what went wrong during a body piercing. That’s why we believe that you should seek legal representation for any type of personal injury claim. You can improve your chances of winning your claim by securing proof to support your claim. As such, we’ll look at the types of proof that might help later in this guide.
Body piercing legislation in the UK
As we’ve already mentioned, anybody can perform body piercing procedures in the UK as the practice is (at the time of writing) unregulated. However, practitioners will usually need to apply to the local authority’s Environmental Health department for a licence to operate.
Because of the Local Government Act 2003, the council can put restrictions in place to control the cleanliness of:
- The premises.
- The person carrying out body piercings.
- The tools and equipment used to perform piercings.
While there is a toolkit providing tattooing and body piercing guidance for practitioners, there is no law to enforce the guidelines it promotes.
Importantly, there are no legal age requirements for most body piercings but local authorities may only allow piercings of customers who are 16 years of age or older. Also, according to the police, a crime may have been committed if nipple or genital piercing is performed on somebody younger than 16 years old.
What risks are associated with body piercings?
While many people have no problems after a body piercing, there are some known risks associated with piercings in general, including:
- Infections. The risk of infection is one of the most common and serious risks associated with body piercings. If the piercing equipment is not properly sterilised or the piercing is not properly cared for while it’s healing, it can lead to infections.
- Allergic reactions. Some people may be allergic to the metal used for their piercing which can cause redness, itching, and swelling around the piercing.
- Scarring. Depending on the type of piercing, scarring can occur which could be permanent and more noticeable on certain parts of the body.
- Pain. Piercing can be painful, especially during the healing process with some people experiencing ongoing pain or discomfort even after the healing process is complete.
- Nerve damage. In rare cases, body piercing can damage nerves, leading to numbness or loss of sensation in the area around the piercing.
- Excessive bleeding. Piercings can cause bleeding and potentially excessive bleeding if blood vessels are accidentally pierced.
- Transmission of bloodborne diseases. If the piercing equipment is not properly sterilised, it can transmit bloodborne diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
If you’ve been injured by a body piercer who you believe has been negligent during the procedure, please call us to find out if you could be entitled to compensation.
Types of negligence by a body piercer you could claim compensation for
As we’ve shown, it may be possible to claim for negligent body piercing treatment that has led to avoidable injuries. Some examples of when you could be entitled to compensation from a negligent body piercer include:
- If the body piercer was not properly trained in the procedure.
- Where infections were caused by poor aftercare advice.
- If the procedure was carried out in unhygienic conditions.
- Where the wrong equipment was used to perform the body piercing.
- If you were not told about the risks associated with the procedure.
- Where the practitioner followed the wrong procedure for the type of piercing being carried out.
If you believe that you have been the victim of a botched body piercing and that you’ve suffered as a result, speak to us about your chances of being compensated by calling 0800 652 1345.
What if I signed a waiver?
Before most body piercing procedures, you’ll probably be asked to read and sign a consent form or waiver. You might think that as a result, you can’t claim compensation if something goes wrong.
However, a consent form simply shows that you were aware of the procedure that was going to be performed. It may also prove that you knew about any associated risks.
Importantly, though, a waiver does not prevent you from claiming damages for any suffering caused by negligence. As such, even if you have signed one, please call us to discuss whether you have the grounds to make a botched body piercing injury claim.
Providing proof for a body piercing injury claim
When you sue for body piercing injury compensation, you can usually expect the defendant to send the claim to their insurance company. As you might imagine, they are unlikely to hand over any compensation money unless you can prove exactly what their client did wrong and how you’ve suffered as a result.
Some examples of the types of proof that can help in body piercing injury claims include:
- Photographs. It is important to keep a record of any visible injuries caused by the body piercing by taking photographs throughout your recovery. Before and after pictures may also be helpful.
- Written proof. If you had any communication with the body piercer before or after your piercing, it could be used as proof. As such, forward any emails, text messages or letters to your solicitor.
- Witness statements. You should provide the contact details of anybody else who was with you at your consultation or while the piercing was performed. Their view on what happened could be helpful if liability for your injuries is denied.
- Medical proof. Any injuries caused by botched body piercings should be checked by a medical professional. That should result in proper diagnosis and treatment and your medical records could be used to prove the extent of your injuries.
- Financial records. As it may be possible to claim back any expenses linked to a body piercing injury, you should provide bank statements, receipts and invoices to your solicitor.
Additionally, you may wish to keep a record of how your injuries have affected you. This should include any days you couldn’t work or any days when your injuries stopped you from doing your normal activities.
At this stage, you do not need to have secured all of the proof above before you speak to one of our advisors. If your claim is accepted, your solicitor will work hard to gather any further information needed to prove what went wrong.
How much compensation will I get for injuries from a botched body piercing?
When you make a personal injury claim against a body piercing studio or salon, you need to consider how you’ve been affected physically, psychologically and financially. This is because you are only allowed to claim successfully for the same instance of negligence once. For this reason, everything must be considered before you settle the claim.
As such, if you make a successful claim for a body piercing injury, it could include damages to cover:
- Physical pain, suffering and discomfort.
- Embarrassment, anxiety, distress and other forms of psychiatric harm.
- Loss of enjoyment of your normal activities.
- Loss of income and future losses for longer-term injuries.
- Private medical treatment to resolve your injuries.
- The cost of a carer if needed.
- Travel costs linked to remedial treatment.
- Home or vehicle adaptations to help you cope with more serious injuries such as amputations.
To prove the extent of your body piercing injuries, you will need an independent medical assessment as part of the body piercing injury claims process.
No Win, No Fee claims
If you want to claim compensation for body piercing injuries, having a specialist personal injury solicitor on your side should make the process a lot easier. We believe they could even help you to secure a higher settlement amount to cover your suffering.
Importantly, the solicitors on our panel all offer a No Win, No Fee service for accepted body piercing claims which means that:
- You don’t need to pay anything in advance.
- You won’t have to pay legal fees if the body piercing injury claim is lost.
- If your claim is won and you are compensated, a success fee will be deducted from your settlement.
Once your claim begins, your solicitor’s main goals will be to:
- Contact the salon or studio to inform them of your claim.
- Gather supporting proof to show the extent of your injuries.
- Negotiate with the defendant’s insurers so you won’t need to deal with them directly.
- Send you regular updates about any progress.
- Try to ensure that any compensation offer is fair and covers your suffering fully.
To see if you could claim for a botched body piercing injury on a No Win, No Fee basis, please speak to a member of our team.
Body piercing injury claim time limits
As you might already know, there is a 3-year limitation period for personal injury claims in the UK. For botched body piercing claims, this will usually begin from:
- The date of your piercing procedure; or
- Your date of knowledge i.e. when an infection or injury was diagnosed by a doctor and linked to the piercing.
If a child is injured as a result of a botched body piercing, they have until their 21st birthday to make a claim for compensation. However, a litigation friend could claim on the child’s behalf at any time prior to their 18th birthday.
In our experience, it can be easier to claim for a botched body piercing injury if you begin the claims process as soon as possible. Not only will this give your solicitor more time to collect any proof they need but it will also mean you’ll receive your compensation sooner if the claim is successful.
Also, if needed, your solicitor may be able to secure interim payments to cover any remedial medical costs before your case is settled.
Start a body piercing injury claim today
If you’ve been injured because of negligence during a body piercing, we can help. If you call 0800 652 1345 today, we’ll review your claim for free and advise you of your options.
During your call, you’ll be offered legal advice about your chances of being compensated. If they are high enough and a personal injury solicitor from our panel accepts your case, they’ll represent you on a No Win, No Fee basis. As such, you’ll only pay solicitor’s fees if you are paid compensation.
Please use our live chat service if you have any further questions about how we can help with making a botched body piercing injury claim.
