Tanning Bed Injury Lawyer

Advances in their technology have greatly improved the safety of commercial tanning beds. A defective or improperly installed tanning bed, however, has the potential of causing serious injury.

Harm can also come to those who do not use a tanning bed as intended. Tanning salon operators must take great care in operating a tanning bed, providing safety equipment (such as safety goggles) and clear instructions to their patrons, and advising same of the health risks involved.

Spending too much time in a tanning bed, or even a short period of time in a poorly controlled unit can expose a customer to an excessive amount of ultra-violet (UV) radiation, and an increased risk for:

• UV "sunburn" - can be painful and cause the skin to peel and/or blister
• Eye damage (notably to the corneas) and vision problems
• Malignant melanoma - a potentially fatal type of skin cancer

Other injuries that can occur in a tanning bed include:

• Burn from direct contact with a light bulb
• Trauma to a limb from the lid closing on it (some lids can weigh about 500 lbs.!)

Some medications can also cause your skin to be more sensitive to UV light. Anyone taking prescription medications should ask their doctor if it is safe to tan.

More than 30 states have regulations governing tanning salons, and several states require parental consent. A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA ) also recently recommended adding stronger warning labels on tanning beds, requiring parental consent, or even banning the use of tanning beds for people under 18 years of age.

For more information, see FDA Panel Proposes Stricter Tanning Bed Regulation.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of negligence by a tanning bed manufacturer or installer, or the carelessness of a tanning bed salon owner or operator, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a qualified personal injury or product liability attorney for an evaluation of your case.