A Virginia woman is suing J.C. Penney for 4.5 million after receiving a hair treatment that went awry.
Giselle Steinhausen visited Chesapeake Square Mall last year to get her hair colored. According to court documents, Steinhausen subsequently experienced “extensive damage to her hair and scalp, including, but not limited to, hair loss and scalp burns.”
She has retained an attorney (not affiliated with Kalfus & Nachman) and is now asking the J.C. Penney Corp to pay $4.5 million for her pain and suffering.
The suit is in U.S. District Court in Norfolk. The suit said an unnamed employee improperly used a bleaching agent on her hair and left it on for an “extended period of time.” When it was determined that the outcome of the color job was that Steinhausen’s hair was nearly white, that employee and others worked together to administer additional hair treatments to correct the undesired result.
The suit was initially filed last month in Chesapeake Circuit Court before it was moved last week to federal court. Its claims include negligence, gross negligence and negligent hiring and retention.
Kevin Sharp, Steinhausen’s attorney, said Steinhausen will need hair transplants to cover bald patches that developed after her visit, and that she had clumps of hair falling out for weeks after the treatment.
An attorney and spokeswoman for the department store declined to comment, but Court records show that J.C. Penney has denied wrongdoing. Among other tactics, defense attorneys for the national chain of department stores plan to argue at trial that Steinhausen’s negligence contributed to her injuries and that she assumed some risk when she got the hair treatment.
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If you are in need of a personal injury lawyer to advocate on your behalf in the event of an injury caused by another’s actions, Kalfus & Nachman wants to help. Our trusted legal team will work tirelessly to ensure you are able to obtain the compensation you deserve, whether it be for your medical bills, loss of work or wages, or pain and suffering. Don’t hesitate to schedule an initial consultation with a member of our firm by calling us at (855) 880-8163.