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Slip in restaurant leads to compensation for woman in Nottingham

Graysons' personal injury expert, Jonathan West, has secured £7,000 for Nottingham resident, Mrs Smitton, after she slipped in a restaurant in Long Eaton.

Last updated on January 14th, 2016 at 01:43 pm

Liquid on floor causes slip in restaurant

Mrs Smitton was visiting the Indian restaurant for the first time and was joined by her family.  After the first course she went to the toilet and, upon her return, she fell as she slipped on some liquid on the floor near the bar area (which was on her left).  Shocked and embarrassed, Mrs Smitton got to her feet and returned to her table.

Staff deny spillage

When Mrs Smitton sat down, she saw the waiters wiping something from the floor.  Despite Mr Smitton having seen the whole thing and asking what they were wiping, the waiters denied that there was any liquid on the floor.   Seeing his wife’s pain and distress after having slipped in the restaurant, Mr Smitton took her to Derby Hospital, where xrays confirmed that she had broken her elbow and sustained soft tissue damage to her knee.

Leaving the family at the restaurant, Mr and Mrs Smitton were told by the manager that he would look into the matter and deduct the cost of their meal from the bill.  However, when Mrs Smitton’s sister in law asked for the accident to be put in the accident book, the restaurant could not produce one, so she insisted it was noted somewhere.

Pain and discomfort and scarring

Mrs Smitton had to return to hospital just over a week after the accident to have a screw inserted into her elbow.  She was in pain for several weeks and had to wear a sling for 5 weeks to keep the elbow at 90 degrees.  She was left with a 3 inch scar on her elbow.

Mrs Smitton, a teacher, was unable to work for 5 weeks and needed help with personal tasks and house work for some time.  She contacted Graysons to see if she could claim compensation.

Settlement secured despite restaurant denial

Jonathan contacted the restaurant owners, who denied responsibility for the accident, so he prepared to take the case to court.  Just before issuing proceedings, however, the restaurant owners made an offer to settle the case on a 50/50 basis.  With advice from barristers, Jonathan refused to accept the offer and won a settlement of £7,000 for Mrs Smitten, who was delighted with the outcome.

Obligation to keep premises safe

Jonathan West personal injury solicitor can help you win compensation for your accident

Personal injury specialist, Jonathan West

Jonathan (pictured) says, owners of any premises where the public can visit have an obligation to maintain the property and keep it safe for users.  In this case they didn’t as they left the spillage on the floor, so Mrs Smitten has a right to be compensated for her injuries – which were caused by the owners’ negligence.

If you have had an accident or been injured in a public place and need advice on how to claim compensation, please contact our highly experienced personal injury team on 0114 241 9066 or email accidents@graysons.co.uk

 

 

 

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