Restaurants can be dangerous places for both the public as well as people working there. We take on large numbers of Restaurant accident compensation claims ranging from slips and trips to burns from spillages or hot objects.
So here is a quick guide in to some common restaurant accidents and when you may be eligible to win a claim for personal injury compensation.
Slips and trips
If you slip or trip due to a spillage or something dangerous being on the floor then you may be able to claim. For visitors there is the Occupiers Liability Act which means the restaurant must take all reasonable steps to prevent slips and trips in the establishment. For employees there are specific workplace regulations that impose similar duties.
If steps like systems of inspection and maintenance or the deployment of signs or cordons are not taken then you may have a case.
Burns and scalds
Employees should be warned of dangers and provided with gloves when they need to work with anything that could burn or scald them in the workplace. When it comes to visitors they should not be exposed to hot implements or at least warned of the dangers. You have more than likely been warned yourselves that a plate you are being served may be hot!
It’s about preventability – measures should be taken to limit such risks or warn of such dangers. That is often what the law asks of a restaurant.
Chair accidents
Surprisingly common – you sit down on a chair and it perhaps breaks or is defective in general and causes an accident. The restaurant is ultimately responsible for their chairs so there may be a claim to answer for if this has happened to you.
Foreign objects in food
If you are the victim of something in your food that shouldn’t have been there then you can make a claim if there is an injury suffered as a result. Common injuries are often dental injuries where teeth have been damaged or broken due to biting down on something hard that shouldn’t have been in there.
It’s a scary thought to be honest! The important note for this kind of thing though is that you must have been injured to make a claim.
Allergic reactions
This is all about warning – if you are not properly warned or you are incorrectly assured that the contents of food you are served is free from anything that could cause you an allergic reaction then you may have a claim for compensation.
Injured by service staff negligence
We have won claims where waiting staff have dropped things on to customers and caused an injury. Whether its a plate that has caused an impact injury or a burn / scald injury, the negligence of an employee of the restaurant leaves the restaurant itself ‘vicariously liable’ which means you may have a solid case.
Accidents of course do happen – but when its negligence then you can be entitled to bring a claim for personal injury caused.
Injuries caused by colleagues
Much like the above example, if you work in a restaurant and you have been injured due to the negligence of a colleague, your employer can be vicariously liable. Perhaps you have been knocked in to by a colleague dangerously rushing around or perhaps you employer has failed to allocate specific traffic routes to stop potential collisions during busy service times.
Whether it’s down to poor workplace management of your employer or the negligence of a colleague, you may have a claim.
Call us 0800 634 7575 for expert, legal advice on restaurant accident compensation claims.
