By Lewis Cobain. Last Updated 23rd June 2025. Welcome to our guide on how to claim compensation for a burn from a hot drink. Hot liquids or steams cause scalds, which are also referred to as burn injuries. Such injuries can be incredibly distressing and upsetting. If you have suffered from a burn from hot tea and it was not your fault, you could be entitled to compensation. It is important that you get the payout you deserve for the pain and suffering you have experienced.
There are many different ways burns and scald injuries can occur, including negligence at coffee shops, as well as accidents at work. For more information regarding claiming compensation for a burn from hot tea, please read on. You can also get started by contacting us using the details provided below:
- Call us on 0800 073 8804 to talk to an advisor
- Enquire through our ‘contact us’ form
- Ask a question in the live chat window
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If you’d like to learn about the key points from this guide, why not check out our video below:
Can I Claim Compensation For A Burn Caused By A Hot Drink?
If you were burned by a hot drink, you may wish to seek personal injury compensation. However, you must meet the eligibility criteria to have a valid claim.
Therefore, you must determine the following:
- A duty of care was owed to you.
- This duty of care was breached.
- You subsequently were injured.
Depending on where you suffered your hot drink burn, a duty of care could be owed to you. For example:
- In a public place, such as a café or restaurant, occupiers (those in control of a space) have a duty of care to take practical measures to ensure that you are reasonably safe as a visitor. This is outlined in the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.
- When you are at work, your employer must take reasonable actions to protect your health, wellbeing, and safety. That responsibility is established under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Get in touch with our advisors today to see whether you may have a valid personal injury claim.
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What To Do If You Suffer A Hot Drink Burn Injury
As with all personal injury claims, if you would like to seek compensation for a burn from a hot drink, you will need to collect compelling evidence. This evidence needs to prove liability for your burns and scalds.
Here are a few examples of items you could submit when seeking compensation for injuries caused by hot drinks:
- Photographs. You can take and submit photos of your burns as evidence. Additionally, if you required skin graft surgery or cosmetic surgery following the burns, you could also submit pictures of this.
- Medical records. These can show what medical treatment you require, and how the injuries are expected to affect you in the future.
- Witness contact details. If anyone saw your accident, you can make a note of their contact details so they can give a statement later into the personal injury claims process.
- Accident log book. If you suffered scalds or burns in an accident at work, there may be an accident log book. This is a legal requirement for any workplace with ten or more staff members. A copy of the incident report from this book can detail how the accident happened.
If you would like free advice about what evidence you could collect to support your burn injury claim, please speak to one of our team members. In addition to free advice about making a personal injury claim, they could also connect you to one of our personal injury solicitors if you meet the criteria.
Example Scenarios Of When You Could Claim For A Burn Caused By A Hot Drink
You could potentially make a claim for burn injuries sustained in public areas and venues, such as restaurants, pubs, parks or cafés.
They are expected to deal with any hazards found within their area within a reasonable amount of time and ensure that provisions are in place for materials and items that can pose a risk to a person’s health. This responsibility applies to hot liquids.
To give you example scenarios:
- You could have burnt your hand because of boiling water from a public tap that was broken
- If you were an employee in a coffee shop but not trained properly in how to use equipment, leading to a scalded hand
- If you had slipped due to a wet floor with no warning signs, and had dropped your beverage resulting in a coffee burn or a similar injury
You could only claim if you could prove you were injured due to negligence. Get in touch for a free eligibility check of your case.
What Injuries Could A Hot Drink Cause?
Although there are different ways that a burn from a hot drink can occur, the symptoms tend to be the same.
Common scald symptoms include:
- Charred or white skin
- Swelling
- Blisters
- Peeling skin
- Redness
In most cases, scalds are first-degree burns that impact the skin’s top layer. However, there are also second-degree cases, which is when the dermis and the epidermis (the deep layers of the skin) are damaged. Permanent nerve damage and scarring often occur as a result of the most severe scalds.
How Much Compensation Could I Receive For A Burn From A Hot Drink?
The amount of compensation you could receive for a burn injury caused by a hot drink, such as a scalded hand, depends on a number of factors, including the severity and its long-term impact.
If you make a successful personal injury claim for a burn injury, you will receive general damages. This compensates you for your injuries and the pain and suffering they have caused you. Many legal professionals will often refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help them value general damages. The JCG is a document that provides suggested brackets for compensation covering a wide variety of injuries.
You can browse some of these brackets in the table below. We’ve also included a non-JGC figure in the top row to show the combined amount for very severe multiple injuries burns and financial losses (referred to as special damages). Please keep in mind that these brackets are for guidance only and are not a guarantee of compensation.
| Injury | Severity | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Very Severe Injuries + Special Damages (e.g. Private Medical Costs) | Very Severe | Up to £250,000+ |
| Scarring To Other Parts Of The Body | Burns Covering 40% or More of the Body | Likely to Exceed £127,930 |
| A Number of Noticeable Laceration Scars or Single Disfiguring Scar | £9,560 to £27,740 | |
| Minor | £2,890 to £9,560 | |
| Facial Scarring | Very Severe Scarring | £36,340 to £118,790 |
| Less Severe Scarring | £21,920 to £59,090 | |
| Significant Scarring | £11,120 to £36,720 | |
| Less Significant Scarring | £4,820 to £16,770 |
As touched on, special damages can compensate you for the financial losses caused by your injuries. For example, if you have to take time away from work to recover, then you could claim back a loss of earnings under special damages.
This head of loss needs evidence like bank statements but can also recoup the cost of:
- Prescriptions
- Cosmetic aids
- Further private medical treatment
- Travel to and from medical appointments
To see whether you could make a claim if you’ve suffered a burnt tongue from hot drinks, contact our team of advisors today.
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How Long Do I Have To Claim Compensation?
As with most personal injury claims, burn from a hot drink claims will usually need to be started within 3 years from the date of the incident. This time limit is set by the Limitation Act 1980.
However, there are some scenarios whereby the person who has suffered a burn from a hot drink would be unable to make decisions for their own case. That prevents people who are under the age of 18 or mentally incapacitated from being able to claim by themselves.
Therefore, the 3-year time limit is paused unless the following conditions are met:
- A child turns 18: In such cases, the standard 3 years will begin to run down from the day of their 18th birthday.
- Mental capacity is restored: If that happens, then the 3-year time limit takes effect from the date that capacity returns. Otherwise, time limits are put on hold indefinitely.
Loved ones or other eligible adults have the option of helping someone from the above groups start a claim before time limits begin. In order to do so, they can act as a litigation friend. This role comes with several other responsibilities that must be performed in the best interests of the claimant. That may also involve the litigation friend communicating with them to get an idea of their wishes, where possible.
You can contact our advisors at any time for more information on how long you have to claim compensation for scalds from a hot drink. They can also outline the role of a litigation friend in more detail for you.
No Win No Fee Burn From A Hot Drink Injury Claims
One of the main benefits associated with using our service to make a burn injury claim is the fact that all of our solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis. That means you can pursue compensation without paying:
- Upfront solicitor fees.
- Ongoing solicitor fees during the claim.
- Any solicitor fees if your claim fails.
If you win, you pay a success fee to your solicitor for all the work done on the case. Although it’s taken as a percentage of your compensation, you keep the majority of what you get as there is a legal cap in place under The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013.
Contact Us
Whether you have been scalded by a hot drink in school or you have suffered a hot drink burn on airplane, you can count on us to help you get the full amount of compensation you deserve. All you need to do is contact us to speak to a friendly and professional member of our advisory team. You can get started by using the details provided below:
- Call us on 0800 073 8804 to talk to an advisor
- Enquire through our ‘contact us’ form
- Ask a question in the live chat window
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Helpful links
Check out some of our other guides:
- Learn about making foot injury claims.
- Read about facial scarring compensation.
- Get insight into electric shock accident claims
You can also get further information from the following external resources:
- NHS guidance on treating burns and scalds
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE) overview of reportable injuries like burns
- Government advice on applying for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
Thank you for reading our guide about hot drink claims in the aftermath of suffering a burn from a hot drink.