Filing a Claim Following Tattoo Infection
Have you recently had a tattoo infection?
You may want to consider speaking with a personal injury attorney. Depending on the circumstances, you may be eligible to file a claim to compensate for the discomfort and pain your tattoo infection has caused.
How do I know if my tattoo is infected?
Tattoo infections can be dangerous and require immediate attention. You should visit a doctor if you notice any of these symptoms:
- Irritation — abnormal itchiness in the days after receiving your tattoo.
- Inflammation — increasingly red and warm in the days after you session.
- Swelling — excess puffiness and distortion around the tattooed area.
- Fever — any fever over 100° in the days following the tattoo session.
- Pain — increasing soreness or sharp pain in the tattooed area.
- Discharge — yellowish-green pus-like substance from around the tattooed area.
- Foul odor — released by bacteria, which may signal the beginnings of infection.
- Red streaks — may signal the beginnings of blood poisoning, which requires immediate medical attention.
If you are experiencing these symptoms or have already been diagnosed, you may be eligible to file a personal injury claim against your tattoo provider.
What is a personal injury claim?
Personal injury claims are filed when a person believes another company/worker’s negligence has caused them harm.
The majority of companies (including tattoo parlors) carry insurance to protect themselves from these accusations. However, when mistakes are made, personal injury claims help the victim receive assistance and justice for the incident.
Strong personal injury claims show a clear wrong-doing on the part of the company. In regards to tattoo infections, we need to analyze the situation and determine what could have been the cause of the infection.
Analyzing your situation
There are many possible causes for tattoo infections. While some causes may be the fault of your tattoo provider, some can also be linked to the tattoo recipient.
It is important to look at both when determining if your case may require legal action.
Some infection-causing practices at the fault of the tattoo provider may include:
- unsanitary tattoo environment
- reusing needles
- using equipment that hasn’t been sterilized
- tattooists who have not been properly trained
- contaminated tattoo ink
- inaccurate tattoo care information
Some infection-causing practices at the fault of the tattoo recipient may include:
- contact with irritating fabrics
- lack of fresh air
- contact with moisture
- failure to follow care instructions
Taking the next steps
If you would like to seek action regarding your tattoo infection, here are the most important next steps to take:
- Continue seeing your primary care doctor for care regarding your infection — your health is the primary concern.
- Document everything you can. Take pictures of infection as it progresses. Compile notes from doctor’s visits. Write up a letter recollecting the events on the day you got your tattoo with as many details as possible. All of these things may prove useful if you decide to take legal action.
- Contact an attorney to determine if you are eligible to file a personal injury claim. They can go through your situation with you, determine if your case is worth pursuing, and get you the help you deserve.
