Suing A Nail Salon After Acquiring An Infection: FAQ

If you're like many adults, a manicure, pedicure, or any time spent at the nail salon is an escape from your everyday life and a chance to relax while caring for your cuticles. Unfortunately, your beautiful manicure might turn into a big headache after you notice the signs of an infection. If the infection is serious and spreads, it can lead to other devastating issues, including loss of your finger, toe, hand, or foot.

It is possible to file a lawsuit against the nail salon after you are seriously injured from an infection. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about acquiring an infection at a nail salon.

What Are the Symptoms of a Nail Infection?

Most infections spread at nail salons are either fungal or bacterial. A bacterial infection, otherwise known as paronychia, is spread after the nail bed or cuticle is punctured. According to WebMD's eMedicine Health, exposure to staphylococci bacteria is the most common cause a nail infection.

Here are a few of the symptoms of a toenail or fingernail infection:

  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Irritation
  • Pain
  • Abscess

When a bacterial infection is not treated promptly, it can spread quickly and begin to impact the fingers, the hands, the arms, and the rest of the victim's body.

Why Do Nail Infections at Salons Occur?

When you enter a nail salon, there is a reasonable expectation the equipment and facility are clean and sterile, the instruments that could harbor infection are never reused, and the staff is properly trained. Unfortunately, some salons do not take these necessary precautions or there is a mistake made by a new employee who was not properly trained.

For example, if you are receiving a manicure and the technician is reusing instruments or not properly sanitizing the instruments between clients, the bacteria can spread through a cut on the customer's finger or damage to the cuticles.

How Do I File a Lawsuit?

If you were diagnosed with a bacterial infection and you suspect the reason behind the complications that have impacted your quality of life and ability to work to be the fault of the salon, the first step is to contact a personal injury attorney. Your attorney will ask you a variety of questions about your injuries, including where they occurred and how the infection was spread.

For your case to be successful, your injuries must be severe enough to warrant filing the lawsuit. For example, if you had an infection that was quickly resolved with antibiotics, you won't have a strong case. However, if you suffered permanent damage that impacts your daily life, you might have grounds to file a lawsuit.

Your attorney will work to prove that there is a direct link between the salon, the infection, and subsequent injuries. To do this, your attorney must first prove you were a customer at the salon. Next, there must be proof that negligence led to the bacterial infection and that had the salon owner trained their employees properly or used sterile or new equipment for each customer, the infection would not have spread.

Provide your attorney with as much information as possible about your visit to the salon and the aftermath of the visit. This includes when you first noticed the infection, when you visited the doctor, the doctor's diagnosis, and any subsequent treatments you have received to cure the infection. Your attorney may hire expert medical witnesses to prove your case. Researching the salon to determine if there were lawsuits filed against them in the past is another step in successfully winning your case.

If you ever contract a bacterial infection after visiting a local nail salon, it's important to treat the infection properly and contact a personal injury attorney to determine if you have a case.


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