Wedding Reception Slipping Accident Victim Receives Substantial Damages

Accidents do happen, but if they are someone else's fault you should not delay in consulting a solicitor with a view to seeking justice. A woman who did just that after suffering an agonising fall on a pub dancefloor was awarded more than £30,000 in damages.

The middle-aged woman was attending a wedding reception at the pub when she slipped on a damp patch on the floor. Her injuries, which had permanent disabling effects, included serious damage to her left hamstring. Consequently, she launched a personal injury claim against the pub's owner.

Upholding her claim, a judge found that a water dispenser had been positioned on a table with its tap overhanging the dancefloor. There was no drip tray and it was very likely, if not inevitable, that water would spill onto the ground. She had changed into flat shoes before going onto the dancefloor, which was lit only by disco lights, and the accident did not arise from any fault on her part.

The judge awarded her a total of £31,871 in compensation, including £25,000 for her pain, suffering and loss of amenity. The pub's owner, who did not participate in the trial of her claim, was also ordered to pay her legal costs.