No win, no fee compensation news
08/03/2010

Teenager in scald injuries claim

A teenager has said he will consider claiming no win, no fee compensation for personal injuries sustained as a result of spilling hot tea on himself.

The 17-year-old from Telford, Shropshire had been passenger in his girlfriend's car when the pair bought a meal from the drive-through of a leading fast food outlet. Shortly after receiving their food they drove over a speed bump, which caused the hot tea to spill over the teenager's thigh.

He explained why he may seek no win, no fee compensation, "It's so dangerous, it could have been a baby or a young child that was burnt, and that would have been so much worse.

"Obviously the lid wasn't properly put on the tea. It only took going over a speed bump to get tea all over me. 

"It was incredibly painful, I screamed when it happened and yanked my trousers down to stop them sticking to me."

Describing the accident as "absolutely horrific", the boy's father said that the fast food outlet "should not be able to get away with" serving tea at such a dangerous temperature. "'I think we should sue them," he added.

It would not be the first time that the fast food retailer has faced no win, no fee compensation action; in 1992 a 79-year-old woman instructed a personal injury lawyer and successfully claimed £2million damages after being scalded by a cup of coffee.