Burns can be as annoying as they are painful. It can often take a long time for the pain of a burn to stop. On top of that, you may end up with some unsightly scarring which could last weeks, months, or even years. If you don’t know something is hot, people often have a delayed reaction which serves only to cause the burn to be worse due to prolonged contact.
So what are you rights when it comes to making a claim for personal injury compensation if you are suddenly burned by something when you are out an about? Perhaps in a shop, or a supermarket?
Your Rights
You’ve probably noticed that in most places that serve hot food where there is a hot counter accessible by customers, there are warning signs to inform you that a particular surface is hot. The point of this is to provide reasonable warning of the danger.
The applicable law in this kind of scenario is normally the Occupiers Liability Act, and this states that whoever is in control of a premises should take all reasonable steps to ensure you are not injured. So placing warning signs up is taking reasonable steps.
But what if there is no warning? Well in that case you may have a successful claim for personal injury compensation. Failing to warn of the hazard can be seen as failing to take reasonable steps.
Common scenarios we have seen are:
- Hot counters with no signs on them.
- Exposed pipes.
- Being handed a plate which is burning hot at a restaurant.
- Exposed machinery or electrical equipment parts.
Making a Claim for Compensation
If you haven’t done so already, report the accident. It helps when it comes to investigations with the insurers if there is a record of the accident. Make sure you also have medical attention, and take photos of how the scarring of the burn progresses. This can be useful when we value the claim later on.
If you feel that you have been the victim of negligence due to a burn injury, call our free claims helpline on 0800 634 75 75 for help and advice today. For most claims, we can still offer you a 100% compensation agreement even though other lawyers will take up to 25% from your payout.
We also operate a fully genuine No Win, No Fee service as well.
