BEAUTY SPECIALIST SUED

Evening Star, Issue 21890, 29 November 1934, Page 17

BEAUTY SPECIALIST SUED

CLIENT BURNED DURING TREATMENT SMALL DAMAGES AWARDED [Special to the ' Stab.’] c AUCKLAND, November 28. Alleging that, by negligent and unskilful treatment, she received’ a scalp burn, during treatment for a permanent Wave, and that she was permanently disfigured, Mrs Shiela Samson, in the Magistrate’s Court before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., claimed from Sareta Salone Ltd., ladies’ hairdressers and beauty specialists, £IOO as general damages and £7 2s as special damages. The defence said that, on a conservative estimate, over the last five and a-half years there had been 257,400 treatments, and in only three cases had burns occurred. In the present case, the burn, a pure accident, for which the defendant was not responsible, was admitted, but it was pointed out that the burn would have responded to immediate medical treatment and would not have reached its present condition had it received that attention. After hearing the evidence, the Magistrate said that a. burn .might be a very infrequent happening, but it was one that should not take place with the exercise of proper skill, and the defendant' comphny had failed to satisfy him that it was not negligent. He did not think that it was the duty of a salon to dress a burn atfenvards, but it would be wise to send the client to a doctor, otherwise the damage would be aggravated. No permanent disfigurement of the head had resulted from the burn. There was a spot the .Size of a threepenny piece where the hair would not grow again, but that was not disfigurement, because it was in a position where it would not be noticed. The medical evidence induced him to believe that she Would receive no more trouble from that part of the head. By way of special damages, which included medical expenses, he would allow £5 18s. Mrs Samson was not entitled to the refund of the cost of the hairdressing treatment, but would be awarded £lO general damages on account of pain and suffering.