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After Bad Haircut, Grandma Wants $1K for Pain and Suffering

By Daniel Taylor, Esq. on August 13, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A Florida grandmother claims her experience at a local Great Clips salon was somewhat less than great.

In fact, Vyunda Bradshaw says that her bad haircut is ruining her life, and is demanding $1,000 to compensate for her "pain and suffering." The salon's manager agreed that the cut is unacceptable, but told Orlando's WKMG-TV that the salon can't give the woman the money she's asking for.

What led to Bradshaw's unfortunate haircut? And would pain and suffering damages even be available in her case, if she tries to pursue a lawsuit?

Stylist Fired After 'Blending' Incident

Bradshaw said that when she saw the stylist starting to use clippers on her hair, she told her to stop and use scissors. Bradshaw says the stylist told her "I'm blending," but then proceeded to shave a portion of Bradshaw's hair nearly to the skin. In addition, other parts of Bradshaw's hair are shaped drastically uneven.

The general manager of the store offered Bradshaw free hair products and $60 to buy a wig, in addition to firing the stylist who performed the bad haircut. But Bradshaw declined the wig, telling WKMG: "I told her I don't wear wigs, it's 97-degree weather. With the wig it's going to be 125 degrees and I'm going to pass the heck out."

Instead, Bradshaw wants the salon to give her $1,000.

When Can You Sue for Pain and Suffering?

Although the salon is free to pay Bradshaw out of its own good graces, if Bradshaw decides to bring a lawsuit, she actually may not be able to recover for pain and suffering damages.

Typically, pain and suffering damages are only awarded in personal injury cases in which a person suffers a physical injury, like a beating or car crash. In Bradshaw's case, although she feels that she "can't go anywhere with my hair looking like this," her injuries would likely be considered emotional rather than physical.

Pain and suffering damages may still be awarded for mental anguish, but these damages are reserved for emotional distress caused by conduct that is considered extreme and outrageous. So even if Bradshaw were to prove that the stylist's haircut was extreme and outrageous, she'd likely also have to prove her emotional distress manifested through physical symptoms, and not just discomfort or embarrassment.

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