Tanning Salon and Burn Injury Liability

Can You Hold Your Tanning Salon Liable for Your Burn Injury?

Using a tanning bed may offer similar UV rays that come from the sun to get a bronze look. However, there are side effects for individuals who use them too often. A burn is one of them. Due to excessive UV exposure, there is a high chance of experiencing skin damage, along with several other health problems. 

If you sustained a serious burn injury after getting a tan and believe the salon is at-fault for your injuries, you may be entitled to receive recoverable compensation. Our expert burn injury attorneys at West Coast Trial Lawyers are available 24/7 to offer legal assistance to victims of personal injury. We will assess your case to determine what necessary steps should be taken in order to get you a fair settlement offer. 

To schedule a free consultation, please contact us by calling 213-927-3700 or filling out our quick contact form.

Complications of Tanning 

When it comes to excessive sun exposure that results in sunburn, you are at a higher risk of experiencing damage to the skin, along with other diseases.

• Your skin is prematurely aging. Getting consistent sun exposure and sun burns may increase your skin aging process. This will make you look older than what you actually are. Photoaging is the proper term used to describe the skin changing due to UV light. Photoaging may cause:
  • Dry skin,
  • Wrinkly skin,
  • Weak connective tissue,
  • Dark or discolored spots around your face, arms, hands, chest, or back.
• Skin cancer. Too much exposure to the sun, regardless of whether or not you get a sunburn, will increase your chances of getting skin cancer. Skin cancer may develop around the entire body. The most common area where skin cancer can be found is on the leg. Women are more likely to be affected in that particular area.
• Precancerous skin lesions. This tends to have a rough appearance with scaly patches around the areas that have been affected by the sun. These patches could be white, pink, brown, or tan. They are commonly found on the face, head, neck, and hands of light skinned individuals.
• Eye damage. Having excessive UV light directed towards the eyes will cause damage to the lens, cornea, or retina.

Symptoms of Tanning Salon Burns 

• Redness,
• Peeling,
• Blistering,
• Pain, or
• Tenderness.

These symptoms may be treatable at home depending on the level of severity. In some cases, the victim may visit a doctor to seek medical attention if their remedies are not helping them recover. It is very important to treat a burn immediately to make sure that it does not get worse.

Treatment 

• First-Degree Burn. Typically causes mild burns. Redness, minor inflammation, pain, swelling, and dryness are visibly seen. It may take 3 to 20 days to heal. Treatment for this degree of burn includes the following:
  • Apply aloe vera.
  • Apply cool compresses.
  • Take cool showers.
  • Speak to a doctor about your injury. They may suggest anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, aleve, or advil.

  It is highly recommended for an individual to seek medical attention if they are
  experiencing:

  • Infections,
  • Consistent pain and swelling,
  • Fever,
  • Oozing,
  • Blisters bigger than two inches, or
  • A tetanus shot.
• Second-Degree Burn. Deep redness, pain, blisters, discoloration, and the burn area being wet or shiny are common symptoms. Treatment for this degree of burn includes:
  • Applying cool water for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Applying cool compresses.
  • Using a bandage or gauze to cover the burned area.
  • Possibly getting a tetanus shot.
  • Taking prescribed antibiotics.

If none of these treatments are helping with the recovery process, then the individual should speak to a doctor about their burn severity to have tests run on it. This will help the doctor decide on what type of antibiotic and pain medication they should prescribe to treat your injury.

Legal Rights 

Since it is a voluntary action to use a tanning bed, it may be difficult to determine if you have any legal rights to compensation. Tanning bed manufacturers could be held liable for your burn injuries if they intentionally did not represent the dangers that come along with using their beds.

Salons may also be held liable for being aware of those dangers, but refusing to inform clients about it. Furthermore, salons may also be accountable for not keeping an eye on a client’s time usage on the tanning bed.

Contact Us Today

If you sustained injuries as a result of a burn accident, our expert team of burn injury attorneys at West Coast Trial Lawyers will help you recover compensation for damages you have suffered. This includes medical expenses, lost wages, emotional distress, and pain and suffering.

Contact us today by calling 213-927-3700 or filling out our contact form to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with our knowledgeable, caring, and compassionate legal team.