A client of Bartletts, Mr Park, was involved in an accident in a beer garden. Mr Park had enjoyed a single pint of beer in the outside area of his local pub, and was leaving the premises. He proceeded to make his way across a patio at the rear of the pub, towards the car park. However, one of the patio slabs gave way and broke, causing Mr Park’s foot to drop 5.5 inches. The paving slab was propped up on bricks, with nothing supporting the slab underneath. As a result of the accident, Mr Park suffered an injury to his back and right hip.
Customers of a pub are owed a duty of care by the owners under the Occupiers Liability Act 1957. The pub where Mr Park’s accident occurred were in breach of this duty of care, and Mr Park received £3,100.00 compensation within ten months of his accident occurring.
What to Do After Accident in Pub Beer Garden?
If you have been involved in an accident of this type and suffered personal injury, then it is important that, following your accident, you do the following:
- Ask the pub to record the accident in their accident book.
- Enquire as to whether there is any CCTV footage of the area where you fell and, if so, ask the pub to retain this footage.
- Obtain details of anyone who witnesses your fall.
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible, following the accident.
Children Injured in Pub Outdoor Play Areas
Many family-friendly pubs across the country provide outdoor play areas for children, usually situated in or next to the pub’s beer garden. These child play areas feature swings, slides, climbing frames, tunnels and other playground equipment. Owners, landlords and pub staff need to pay particular attention to safety in these areas, as children are naturally less able to spot potential hazards than adults, while play equipment can quickly become defective and dangerous due to misuse or vandalism. Parents may also be distracted while eating, drinking and socialising in pubs, meaning children are often not properly supervised while playing.
Pubs need to have efficient inspection and maintenance procedures in place to ensure that child play areas are kept free from hazards, as far as reasonably possible. Such areas require safety checks every day before opening, and should be inspected at regular intervals during opening hours. Apart from checking that the play equipment is well maintained and safe to use, the play area must also be kept free from hazards such as broken glass and litter. Rubber safety mats and floor matting for fall protection must be properly positioned, sufficiently good quality and in a decent state of repair.
Safety warning signs (including age restrictions on use) should be in place, while parents need to be clearly informed that they are responsible for supervising their children using the play area. Standard pub glasses should never be brought inside child play areas, and plastic glasses for drinks must therefore be provided. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) estimates that more than 40,000 children are injured in playgrounds and on play equipment every year, and pubs need to clearly follow RoSPA’s safety measures and procedures to minimise the risk of children getting injured while visiting the premises.
Compensation for Customers Injured in Pubs & Bars
If you or your child have had an accident of this type and wish to discuss whether you can bring a claim, please do not hesitate to speak with a member of our personal injury team who will be more than happy to help you. Bartletts Solicitors has successfully claimed compensation for guests injured at pubs and bars across England and Wales.
Make a free compensation enquiry today
For specialist advice on your personal injury claim, call us now on Liverpool 0151 227 3391 or Chester 01244 645830 or Wrexham 01978 360056 or complete a Free Online Enquiry and we will soon be in touch.
