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ST. LOUIS (April 10, 5:36 a.m. PDT) - A jury
awarded $6,000 to a woman who sued a hair salon, claiming that bad hair
treatment left her depressed and led her to seek early retirement.
Geremie Hoff, 56, of suburban Creve Coeur,
sued the Elizabeth Arden Salon for emotional distress, depression,
counseling and lost income.
According to testimony, Hoff went to the
salon Aug. 9, 2001, seeking to have her curly hair straightened.
Stylist Reye Hudson, who is still with the
salon but was not named in the suit, applied a hair relaxer, then washed and
styled Hoff's hair.
Hoff testified that clumps of her hair came
loose that night, and her resulting bald spots and brittle hair made her
depressed and reclusive. Her daughter testified about Hoff's emotions, as
did a psychiatrist and counselor.
Hoff's attorney, Paul Devine, said she was
so distressed she retired early from teaching at the University of
Missouri-St. Louis and stopped working as a tour guide for trips to Italy.
Defense attorney Lawrence Hartstein said
Hudson didn't test Hoff's hair before applying the product, but that the
stylist could judge who needed one based on her 30 years of experience.
Jurors found the stylist negligent. They did
not describe how they arrived at the $6,000 figure. |
