Slipping accidents in restaurants are usually the result of wet and slippery floors and outdoor surfaces, which may be due to recent cleaning, spilled drinks, food and litter, rainwater trampled inside or ice and snow in winter. When such hazards cannot be sorted out immediately by staff, warning signs, protective barriers and anti-slip matting should be used to prevent customers from accessing the particular surface and risk slipping over.

When a customer slips and falls through no fault of their own due to a slippery floor in a restaurant, it will often be the result of negligence on the part of management or staff. Restaurant managers are responsible for devising and implementing an efficient system of inspection and cleaning which results in slipping hazards being identified and dealt with as quickly as possible. They must also ensure that sufficient staff are available to maintain safety standards at all times.

Customers may also be burnt in restaurants due the negligence of management and staff. Hot drinks or food may be spilled over diners by restaurant servers, for example, when the latter are handing a hot drink across a counter or serving food at a table. Carelessness and failure to pay proper attention on the part of individual staff members is often the cause of this type of accident, which may leave first or second degree burn injuries, and long-term or even permanent scarring.

Restaurant owners owe a duty of care to their customers, and under the terms of the Occupiers Liability Act 1957 must take all reasonable measures to protect them from getting injured while dining on the premises. CCTV footage from a restaurant is often helpful in proving the precise circumstances of an accident. Contact our solicitors with expertise in claiming compensation for slips and burns at restaurants for free legal advice that you can rely on:

Compensation for Customers Burnt in Restaurants

Who is Responsible for a Slipping Accident in a Restaurant?

Your employer has a legal duty to keep you safe at work and protect your wellbeing whilst you’re in the workplace environment – if this has not been the case and your RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) was caused or worsened by poor working conditions, you may be entitled to claim for compensation.

What Is RSI?

Repetitive Strain Injury, sometimes called Occupational Overuse Syndrome, refers to the damage that your muscles, tendons and nerves suffer due to repetitive tasks and awkward posture.

It is usually work-related and commonly occurs in the fingers, hands, arms and neck. With proper and effective health and safety measures in place, RSI is avoidable most of the time.

There are numerous actions and tasks that increase the risk of RSI with most injuries happening to people who work in offices, factories or in manual labour roles. Common causes include:

• Repetitive tasks
• Poor posture
• Insufficient or infrequent rest breaks
• Cold environment
• Using vibrating equipment

RSI Symptoms

Symptoms range from mild to severe, but in every case, you should seek medical help to prevent further damage and pain from occurring.

If symptoms are mild, you may only notice the pain during the task itself – should this happen, you should stop your activity straightaway and tell your employer. If symptoms are constant or the pain is serious, as well as seeking medical advice you should seek legal advice too.

RSI Facts

It is estimated that more than 5 million working days are lost in sick leave because of RSIs every year – which means this type of injury isn’t just impacting on the day-to-day life of the sufferer but the wider economy too.

Various UK studies have shown what a difference it makes to people’s mental health and job satisfaction levels, having management that treats staff fairly and with consideration of working conditions. This is why it’s vital more is done to prevent employees from suffering with RSIs in the workplace

Other Work-Related Injuries

As well as RSI, HAVS and CTS are common work-related injuries that can be caused by poor safety measures and working conditions.

HAVS stands for Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome and is a form of Raynaud’s syndrome which causes poor blood circulation and nerve damage. It is most often found in individuals who use vibrating equipment or power tools in their work and usually causes permanent damage.

CTS is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and is caused by swelling in the wrist area that suppresses the median nerve and leads to the area around the thumb becoming weak or numb. This syndrome can be caused or made worse by poor working conditions in the manufacturing and construction industries.

How We Can Help You With Your RSI Claim

Your workplace should be a safe environment and your employer should have measures in place to protect your wellbeing. If your employer has failed in their duty of care and been negligent either through a lack of health and safety measures or by failing to take action after you raised concerns then you may be able to make a compensation claim for your RSI.

It is important you consult legal help as well as medical assistance if you’ve suffered or are suffering from RSI, HAVS or CTS. Your solicitor will guide and support you at every step of the claims process, if you decide to go ahead – and work hard to ensure you receive the help you need to recover as well as to secure the compensation you deserve.

To discuss a potential RSI claim with one of our specialist solicitors call FREE on 0800 988 3674  or via a Mobile 0333 200 4465 or complete a Free Online Enquiry and we will soon be in touch.

E-scooters are increasingly popular but just how dangerous are they?

There have been reports of people being injured whilst riding e-scooters and of pedestrians being hurt when e-scooter riders have failed to stop in time. If you’ve been hurt in an e-scooter accident, get in touch with our professional personal injury solicitors about whether you can make a claim for compensation for your injuries.

What Are E-Scooters?

E-scooters are electric scooters that provide an alternative way to travel to walking or cycling.

Quite new to our streets, e-scooters are becoming a familiar sight in some UK cities thanks to Government-led trials that have made them available to hire in certain areas.

What Is The Law For Riding E-Scooters?

You must have a valid provisional or full driving licence and be over the age of 16 to ride an e-scooter.

In England, the law states it is illegal to ride a privately-owned e-scooter on public roads and these e-scooters must only be ridden on private land with permission from the landowner.

An individual who is caught illegally riding a privately-owned e-scooter on a public road can be fined up to £300 and have 6 points added to their driving licence.

The Government is currently trialling e-scooter hire in more than 40 towns and cities – and it is legal to ride e-scooters in these areas. However, it is still illegal to ride e-scooters on pavements and they can only be ridden in cycle lanes and on the sides of roads.

The E-Scooter Hire Trials

The cities that have e-scooters available for hire under the Government trial scheme include London, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham.

During the trial period, it is compulsory for all e-scooters to have motor insurance – this is currently provided by the rental operator.

Each e-scooter provider has slightly different rules for e-scooter use so it’s always worth checking before deciding whether to hire an e-scooter or not.

E-Scooter Safety

Similar rules that apply to cycling, apply to e-scooters. Helmets are recommended but not mandatory.

The speed limit for most e-scooters available to hire is 15.5mph. In London, the speed limit is 12.5mph and you need to complete an online safety course before starting your journey when you hire one for the first time.

How Safe Are E-Scooters?

The combination of electric power, lack of training on how to ride one safely, and the speed they can travel at means they pose a certain danger to the rider and to pedestrians who may be in the path of one if the rider can’t stop in time.

Regardless of whether the e-scooter trials make it compulsory to have insurance whilst on the public road on an e-scooter, it’s always a good idea to have insurance – just in case you’re involved in an accident that causes injury to another person.

How We Can Help You With Your E-Scooter Accident Claim

If you’ve been injured in an accident involving an e-scooter, contact us for advice on whether you can make a claim for compensation and what your rights are.

We can also provide guidance and information on e-scooter safety and the law surrounding them, on a more general basis.

For more information on e-scooters and the law or to speak to one of our specialist solicitors about making an e-scooter accident claim for compensation, call Freephone 0800 988 3674  or via a Mobile 0333 200 4465 or complete a Free Online Enquiry and we will soon be in touch.

Petrol stations owe customers a duty of care which they may breach if the latter are exposed to a foreseeable risk of injury and an accident occurs. There are a number of potential hazards at petrol stations, especially those operating 24/7 and offering a range of facilities. As with all businesses offering services to the general public, petrol station owners, occupiers and staff are responsible for the safety of their visitors as per the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. Customers must be kept reasonably safe while visiting the premises, and all necessary measures must be taken to minimise the risk of accidents.

Typical examples of slippery surfaces at petrol stations include greasy areas in forecourts where oil or petrol has been spilled, and wet floors in bathroom facilities caused by recent cleaning or maintenance problems. Other internal floor surfaces may also be slippery if, for example, a customer spilled a product and it has not been cleaned up, or a recently cleaned floor has been left in a wet and slippery condition, in which case warning signs should have been positioned to warn and prevent customers from accessing the area.

Inadequate outdoor lighting at petrol stations is often a contributory factor in slip and trip accidents, and publicly accessible areas must be properly lit at all times to guard against this risk. Ice and snow in winter must be cleared from outdoor areas to prevent visitors from slipping over and injuring themselves, while measures should also be taken to prevent ice, snow and water from being trampled inside petrol stations. Petrol hoses on forecourts should recoil automatically after use and not be allowed to trail along the ground due to the risk of trips, falls and injuries.

Our firm has a team of personal injury lawyers with experience of successfully claiming compensation for accidents at petrol stations. If you have slipped and fallen over or been otherwise injured at a petrol station through no fault of your own, contact Bartletts for free legal advice that you can rely on:

Petrol Station Accidents – Case Studies

As with all commercial premises visited by members of the public, nightclubs and discos owe their customers a duty of care, and must take all reasonable measures to protect them from foreseeable injury risks while they are on the premises. The most common causes of accidents in nightclubs and discos include:

1) Spilled drinks in any area of a venue can create a slipping hazard for revellers, especially on dance floors and in bar areas and bathroom facilities. Inspections need to be routinely carried out by staff so that spillages are identified and cleared up as quickly as possible. Nightclub owners and organisers must make sure that a sufficient number of staff are on duty to monitor the behaviour of guests and maintain a reasonable level of safety.

2) Broken glasses and bottles are another regular cause of accidents in nightclubs and discos. Broken glass on dance floors, stairs and in other areas of a venue can cut people’s feet, hands or any other part of the body. Similarly to spilled drinks, an efficient system of monitoring and inspecting public areas of a venue, and clearing up broken glass as soon as it is identified will minimise the risk of injuries.

3) Tripping accidents at venues are also fairly common, and are often caused by damaged or uneven surfaces such as frayed carpeting, cracked tiles in bathrooms or damaged steps to stair. Clubs and discos are full of electrical cables linking up music equipment, lighting, screens and vending machines, and exposed trailing cables in public areas can easily cause revellers or venue staff to trip over and injure themselves.

4) Visitors to nightclubs and discos may also be injured when chairs, stools or tables collapse due to their defective state or poor assembly. Venue owners and organisers have a legal duty to provide safe furniture and furnishings which must be regularly inspected to monitor its condition and minimise the risk of injuries. A proper system of lighting is also important, particularly on stairs, in bathroom facilities, near entrances and exits, and on crowded dance floors. Inadequate lighting reduces the ability of visitors to move around a venue safely, and can result in trips, falls and potentially serious injuries.

If you have suffered an injury as a result of an accident in a nightclub that was not your fault, it will often be possible to claim compensation. Bartletts Solicitors has successfully represented guests injured at nightclubs across England and Wales. Find out more:

Compensation for Slipping on a Wet Dance Floor

Compensation for Being Cut by Broken Glass in Nightclub