I would like to find out if I am eligible to claim for slipping on a wet toilet floor in a pub. Last weekend while making my way out of a local pub’s toilet I slipped on a pool of water, falling and injuring my shoulder. Am I eligible to claim for compensation? And if so, how much could I be entitled to?
In order to assess if you are entitled to claim compensation it must first be established who was at fault for causing your injury. If the injury was caused by a member of staff at the pub, for example a maintenance worker who was negligent in his duties, you may be entitled to compensation because the pub may be judged to have failed in its duty of care towards its patrons. If you contributed in some way to your injuries however, you may have to cede a portion of your settlement or, should it be found that your negligence was the cause of the accident, you may not be entitled to any compensation at all. As the accident occurred in a pub, the defendant may enquire as to how much you were drinking when you fell; also, as the accident happened in a toilet it may be more difficult to prove who was at fault due to the absence of CCTV evidence.
The amount of compensation you are entitled to claim will depend a number of variables: a solicitor will be able to provide you with an estimate of how much compensation you might be awarded. In his estimate your solicitor will take into account the nature and extent of your injuries, their permanency, your age and gender and prior state of health before providing a figure. After that your solicitor will take into account any emotional trauma – although it must be able to be quantified by a psychologist – and any loss of amenity – the inability to perform everyday tasks or engage in social and recreational activities. Any quantifiable expenses such as loss of earnings, travel costs – your shoulder injury may have left you unable to drive for example – and medical bills may also be able to be recovered provided you can provide receipts and other relevant documentation.
It is impossible to place a figure on how much you could receive without knowing the full particulars of you case. To find out more you should speak with a solicitor, which as mentioned above, can be done through our freephone advice service.