Salon treatment prompts lawsuit

In preparation for senior pictures, Breann Renee Vanden Bos of Issaquah planned to have her hair done and then go shopping for an outfit with her mother.

She went to the Gene Juarez salon in Bellevue for a cut and highlights, but walked out with a 4-inch-long third-degree burn on the top of her head, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in King County Superior Court.

The lawsuit, filed by attorney Michael Withey, claims that on Sept. 11, 2002, a colorist at the Bellevue salon put highlighting chemicals and foils in Vanden Bos' hair and then left the 17-year-old to sit unattended under a set of heat lamps.

"I was waiting and waiting, and then my head started burning so bad I looked in the mirror to see if there were flames," said Vanden Bos, now 20. "I was crying and hysterically trying to find somebody to help me."

By the time the chemicals were finally rinsed off, the lawsuit claims, Vanden Bos was left with a 4-inch-long burn on her head that required two surgeries at the Harborview Medical Center burn unit. The lawsuit also claims that salon employees treated Vanden Bos with callous disregard, refusing to call 911 for medical help, dismissing her injury as an allergic reaction and then chiding her for it. When she left, the lawsuit claims, she was presented with a $50 coupon that had expired.

"A little bit of human compassion would have gone a long way toward alleviating this," Withey said.

Gene Juarez Salons & Spas, however, issued a statement yesterday saying that the lawsuit followed an "unreasonable settlement demand" made by Vanden Bos, who rejected what the company described as a "fair and substantial offer" to compensate her for her injury.

The statement also said that Vanden Bos was not mistreated at the salon. "After the incident, we were concerned about Breann's well-being. ... We advised Breann to contact her mother and encouraged her to seek the advice of a physician. At the time of the incident and since, our staff has apologized to Breann for the discomfort she experienced."

The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages for Vanden Bos' injury. Neither side would discuss the amount of the earlier settlement offer.

Vanden Bos, who now attends Pacific Lutheran University, says the injury made for a humiliating and nightmarish beginning to her senior year at Liberty High School.

She said she missed several soccer games, including the season's most important match, and endured constant taunts and careless comments.

"I had a big bald spot on my head," she said. "I was constantly ... having to explain what happened. People called me 'freak of nature' or 'bald spot.' It was horrific."

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com