We all love going out for an evening – whether it be dancing in a night club, or going out for a quiet meal. However, I can hazard a guess that you would not anticipate having an accident whilst enjoying your evening, an accident that was not your fault and which leaves you with injuries.
If you have been in the above situation, you may have a claim for compensation. However, it is the breach of duty of the owner that needs to be proven, together with the fact that this breach of duty has led to your injuries – which is known as causation.
The Duty of the Owner
Venues for evenings out such as night clubs, like anywhere else, must adhere to strict health and safety regulations, and protect you as far as is reasonably possible from risks to your health and safety – i.e. they have a duty of care over the people attending their venue.
It is a breach of this duty which is needed to be proven in order to have a valid claim for personal injury. An owner/organiser is breaching their duty if you have had an accident which was reasonably foreseeable and could have been prevented. An example of this would be if you had a slip in the toilets of the venue due to the floor being covered in water with no warning signs present.
Causation
Causation is usually quite straight forward – if you have slipped and injured your knee, it is reasonable to assume this injury was caused by the accident you had; however, if you claim your slip caused you to have an injury inconsistent with the accident, this could then mean causation is an issue.
So you have a claim…what do you do next?
In order to strengthen your claim, there are a few actions which you can take:
- Report the matter to a member of staff – this can be important as an accident report may need to be filled out, and this can offer evidence for your claim.
- Seek medical assistance for your injuries – this not only assists with your injuries, but allows the medic to place a note in your medical records.
- Check for witnesses – if they are present, it is advisable to get their contact details, as they may be required to provide evidence later on down the line in your claim.
- Seek the assistance of a specialist personal injury lawyer – this is best done as soon as possible whilst the events are fresh in your mind and those of your witnesses.
If you think you have a claim for compensation why not give us a call for some free expert advice.
