The short answer
Victims injured by negligent med spa procedures in California can recover compensation for medical expenses, corrective treatment, and pain and suffering. You generally have two years to file (CCP § 335.1). Seek medical care and consult a lawyer promptly.
Los Angeles has one of the largest concentrations of med spas in the country, from Beverly Hills and West Hollywood to strip malls in the Valley. These businesses offer laser hair removal, injectables, chemical peels, body contouring, IV drips, and microneedling, often marketed as quick and low risk. When a procedure is performed by someone without proper training or supervision, or with poorly maintained equipment, the results can include burns, infections, scarring, and lasting nerve damage.
Many of these procedures are medical treatments under California law. That means the business model matters: who owns the spa, which physician is supposed to supervise, who actually performed your treatment, and whether you were properly informed of the risks. Those details can determine which legal rules apply to your case, who can be held responsible, and which deadlines control.
Our founding attorney has fought insurers for injured Californians since 2002. We know how liability carriers try to minimize cosmetic injuries as temporary, subjective, or the risk you accepted by signing a consent form. We document your injury, the procedure, and the ownership and supervision structure so your claim is valued on the facts.
Consultations are free and confidential, and you pay no attorney's fee unless we recover compensation for you. If you were hurt at a med spa, get medical care first, then contact us so we can help preserve your records and photographs.
From the other side of the table
How the defense sees your claim
They wave the consent form
Defendants often argue that a signed consent form means you accepted every bad outcome. Consent covers known risks of a properly performed procedure, not negligent treatment, and it may be inadequate if the risks were not actually explained. We examine exactly what you signed and what you were told.
They call it a normal complication
Redness and swelling are common. Deep burns, necrosis, and permanent pigment changes may not be. We work with qualified medical reviewers to distinguish an expected side effect from a departure from the standard of care.
They blur who was responsible
Ownership structures, management companies, and absentee medical directors can make it hard to identify who is legally responsible. We investigate licenses, ownership, and supervision to identify each party that may bear responsibility and its insurance.
They discount cosmetic harm
Insurers may treat scarring or disfigurement as a cosmetic concern with modest value. We document the physical, emotional, and professional impact, including the cost of corrective treatment.
Why it happens
Common causes
Laser and IPL burns
Incorrect settings for your skin type, poor cooling, or untrained operators can cause burns, blistering, and lasting pigment changes.
Injectable complications
Dermal fillers injected into or near a blood vessel can cause tissue death, and in rare cases vision problems. Improper injection technique or failure to recognize and treat an occlusion quickly may be negligent.
Unsafe body contouring
Fat-freezing, radiofrequency, and other body contouring treatments have been associated with burns, nerve pain, and in some reported cases unusual fat tissue changes.
Infections from unsanitary practices
Microneedling, injections, and IV therapy can introduce bacteria when sterile technique is not followed, leading to abscesses or serious infections.
Unqualified or unsupervised staff
Procedures performed by people without the required license or physician supervision may raise liability issues for the spa and its medical director.
Counterfeit or unapproved products
Using diluted, counterfeit, or unapproved injectables and devices can cause harm and may involve additional responsible parties.
What we see
Injuries we handle
What you may recover
Compensation in a California claim
Medical and corrective treatment
Care from dermatologists and plastic surgeons, revision procedures, scar treatment, and future corrective care.
Lost income
Time away from work during recovery, and income lost in careers where appearance plays a role.
Pain and suffering
Compensation for physical pain, disfigurement, and emotional distress. Caps on noneconomic damages may apply if the claim is one for professional negligence against a licensed health care provider.
Refund and out-of-pocket losses
Money paid for the negligent treatment and related expenses such as travel and prescriptions.
Punitive damages in limited cases
Where conduct is proven to involve malice, oppression, or fraud, such as knowingly using counterfeit products, punitive damages may be available.
The rules that apply
California law you should know
Corporate practice of medicine
California generally prohibits corporations and lay individuals from practicing medicine, which is why medical spas offering medical procedures are generally required to be owned and controlled by physicians. Ownership and supervision can affect liability.
Bus. & Prof. Code § 2400
Medical negligence deadline
A claim for professional negligence against a health care provider generally must be filed within three years of the injury or one year after you discover it, whichever comes first. Claims against unlicensed parties may follow the general two-year rule.
Code Civ. Proc. §§ 340.5, 335.1
Notice of intent to sue
Before suing a health care provider for professional negligence, you generally must give at least 90 days' notice of your intent to file.
Code Civ. Proc. § 364
Noneconomic damages limits
California limits noneconomic damages in professional negligence actions against health care providers. The limits were revised by AB 35 and increase over time. Whether they apply depends on who treated you and the nature of the claim.
Civil Code § 3333.2
General information, not legal advice. Deadlines and rules depend on the facts of your case, so talk to an attorney promptly.
Right now
Protect your claim
Evidence to gather
- Clear, dated photographs of the injury, taken daily
- Before photos showing your skin or features prior to treatment
- Receipts, invoices, and package or membership agreements
- Consent forms and any aftercare instructions you received
- Names of the person who treated you and anyone who supervised
- Text messages, emails, and social media messages with the spa
- Records from doctors who treated the injury afterward
- Screenshots of the spa's advertising and website claims
Mistakes insurers count on
- Returning to the same spa for them to fix the injury
- Accepting a refund or free services in exchange for signing a release
- Failing to photograph the injury in its early stages
- Posting reviews or accusations online before speaking to a lawyer
- Assuming you have two years, when a shorter deadline or notice requirement may apply
Step by step
How we handle your case
- 1
Review your injury
We talk with you about the procedure, your symptoms, and your treatment, and we review photographs and paperwork.
- 2
Secure your records
We request your complete chart, consent forms, treatment settings, product lot numbers, and staff credentials before anything can be lost or changed.
- 3
Identify responsible parties
We investigate who owned the spa, who supervised, who performed your treatment, and whether any product or device manufacturer is involved.
- 4
Obtain a medical review
Where appropriate, we consult qualified medical professionals about whether the care fell below the standard and what future treatment you may need.
- 5
Pursue compensation
We give any required legal notices, present your claim, and negotiate with insurers, and we file suit when a fair resolution is not offered.
From the Case Vault
Related results
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts.
Straight answers
Frequently asked questions
You may have a claim if the burn resulted from negligent treatment, such as wrong settings for your skin type, untrained staff, or malfunctioning equipment. Not every side effect is negligence, so we review your records, photographs, and the treatment details to evaluate whether the care fell below the standard expected.
Civil Rights & Emerging Harms