I recently broke my arm after suffering a fall while attending an exhibit at a city centre museum. Although I am apprehensive to do so, I am considering pursuing a claim for slipping on a wet floor in a museum. Am I eligible to do so? How much compensation is likely to be awarded if I am successful?
Your eligibility to claim for slipping on a wet floor in a museum depends on who was at fault for your injury. If a member of the museum’s staff or management was at fault – or at least party at fault – you may be able to claim compensation. If the accident that led to your injury was of your own making, you may have to take responsibility.
Sometimes it can be difficult to tell who was at fault for an accident. If you feel that the museum staff failed in the duty of care towards you and placed your health and safety in danger, you may be eligible to claim for compensation.
If your slip was caused by a puddle that had not been attended to by a member of staff or by residue left over as a result of the floor being cleaned recently, you may be entitled to claim. If however you were at fault for your own injuries by say, knowingly walking a surface that had recently been cleaned, you may not be entitled to pursue compensation. Claims for compensation are sometimes not as black and white as these examples though, and it could be the case in either instance that you are and the museum are both partly responsible for your accident, in which case you may still be entitled to pursue compensation, but the value of your final settlement would be reduced to reflect your contribution.
How much you are entitled to in your claim for slipping on a wet floor in a museum depends on a number of factors – the severity of your condition, your age and your gender will be taken into account; as will any loss of amenity – your ability to perform everyday tasks and participate in activities, emotional trauma, and quantifiable damages incurred because of the accident – medical bills, transport costs and/or loss of earnings for example.
All of this and more can be explained by a qualified injury claims solicitor, who will be happy to walk you through the steps involved in pursuing a claim for slipping on a wet floor in a museum.