Rainbow Rooms Glasgow: Landmark £1m lawsuit against salon over claims ‘hair wash caused mum to have STROKE’

Adele Burns, 47, suffered the life-changing injury during what was meant to be a special day of pampering.

Stylists at Rainbow Rooms in Glasgow washed the nurse’s hair six times after failing to get the colour right.

But less than 24 hours later, Adele suffered a massive stroke which medics linked to her head being repeatedly pulled backwards into the salon basin which also allegedly did not have protective padding.

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Adele from Mid Calder, West Lothian, now hopes the court action – the first of its kind in Scotland – will hold parlour bosses accountable and improve standards to protect the public.

She said: “My life has been turned upside down from what was meant to be a rare day out.

“With backing from my doctors, there is no doubt in my mind the salon caused the stroke.

“This hasn’t just left me isolated from society, I’ve been isolated from my own body.”

Mum-of-two Adele visited the award-winning salon for a £200 cut-and-colour on April 21, 2016 as part of a special day out arranged by husband Campbell, 52.

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After the five-hour appointment, she left with a headache - but put it down to not getting a chance to eat while at the salon.

The following day, Adele’s condition drastically deteriorated when she lost her sight and felt dizzy while cleaning the bathroom.

She rested for a minute where, after gathering her strength, crawled to the phone and called Campbell for help.

But, after a few moments, she dropped the phone mid-conversation and passed out again.

Terrified, Campbell rushed home and found his wife unable to speak or move and the right side of her face was drooping, so he immediately called for an ambulance.

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It was confirmed at St John’s Hospital in Livingston that Adele suffered a stroke following dissection of the vertebral artery - a clot caused by trauma in the neck which stops blood getting to the brain.

The incident left Adele unable to drive which meant she couldn’t work and had to sell their home. She also now struggles to speak, read, write and move - yet never stops fighting to rebuild her life.

Adele added: “A stroke isn’t like a physical injury like a leg break where you take time out and heal then carry on as normal. It changes your life and the lives of those around you.

“I’ve completely lost my independence and I sometimes feel like my life is no longer my own.

“Campbell is my best friend and the right words don’t exist to express my love and gratitude for everything he does for me nowadays.

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“What makes it harder to stomach is that what our lives have become was avoidable and I’m sure the salon knows this too.

“I just don’t want anyone else to experience what is happening to us.”

Campbell, who works as an IT manager, said: “My wife was an active and vibrant person, but the hardest thing for me isn’t taking on domestic duties - it’s seeing her fight to keep the sparkle in her smile and eyes.

“I see myself as a problem solver who does what is needed to help us clear obstacles, but it breaks my heart when I think this is one problem I’ll never be able to solve for my wife.

“The salon should be ashamed, not just for what they did, but what they are doing now by dragging a vulnerable person through a stressful and avoidable legal action.”

Court papers state salon staff never asked Adele to attend for a “strand test” before her appointment which would have prevented the need for her hair to be re-washed and re-coloured six times.

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Documents also accuse the salon of negligence by failing to offer Adele a front-facing sink or provide neck protection during the treatment she received.

And medic reports show there is no history of strokes in Adele’s family history, along with a CT scan which confirmed the stroke she suffered following the trip to the Glasgow parlour.

Jennifer Watson, associate at Digby Brown Solicitors and specialist beauty treatment lawyer, said: “A civil action against Rainbow Rooms is underway after our client’s life was undeniably altered following her appointment with their salon.

“Thousands of people will seek beauty treatment like this every year, and Adele is incredibly brave in speaking out as a way of alerting others to the risks.

“Strokes caused by hair washes are not unheard of as there have been a handful of similar cases across the globe. However, I’m not aware of anything similar having called in Scottish courts.

“This claim of negligence will be rigorously pursued but, as it is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

The Evening Times has contacted Rainbow Rooms for comment.