Dance Floor Accident: How to claim compensation for injury from a defective dance floor

Find out how to claim for injury in a dance floor accident during a Christmas party arranged by work; how to prove fault of the venue; the amounts you can claim in compensation; your lost income claim with specialist solicitor free help to accident victims,

Dance floor accident question

I was at a works Christmas party last year. The venue was in a pub that had a bar and dance floor area which we could use after we had eaten.

I was dancing on the dance floor and suddenly I fell over landing heavily. I looked around and realised my foot went into a hole, which had caused me to loose balance and fall to the ground. The hole was not visible as it was the same colour as the floor and lighting was dim.

A colleague alerted a member of the pub staff and an accident book entry was made. One of the bar tenders commented that the hole had only recently occurred and was due to be fixed. They put some cones up to cover the hole, which seemed several inches deep.

My ankle and wrist were in a bad way, so an ambulance was called. In hospital I was x-rayed and told I had a fractured right ankle with ligament damage and a sprained right wrist.

I was unable to work for 6 months nor do any of my normal activities – including football and going to the gym. I have to date been unable to return to football as my ankle is still weak.

It was clear the floor was in bad condition and was not lit properly to be visible and should have had new flooring or be repaired.

Can I make a claim against the pub for my injuries, will I be able to claim for lost pay as work only paid me for a few weeks of absence?

Personal injury solicitor response

Your chances of succeeding with a claim for compensation for your dance floor accident are very strong.

Proving fault for your dance floor accident

Your primary claim would be against the pub business and their public liability insurers. In theory, as it was a works do, your employer might have some form of liability – but given the accident circumstances you would proceed against the pub as the occupiers of the premises.

It is clear that the dance floor was defective and unsafe, even the pub staff confirmed they had knowledge of the problem and had failed to act to either section the area off or make a repair.

The accident was correctly reported in the accident book and there was no doubt a number of witnesses – so proving the accident events should not be a difficulty.

What your compensation will include

You will be able to claim compensation for all of your injuries – see our guidance on ankle injury compensation amounts and wrist injury payouts.

As you experienced injuries to different body parts – our multiple injury claims article explains how your solicitor can calculate the overall compensation amount for pain and suffering.

You can also claim for lost income and other financial losses. The lost income would be basic pay that is lost as a well as any overtime that you may ordinarily do. The sum claimed is nett of tax.

We note your symptoms are ongoing – so if you have returned to work, but are still on reduced hours or not doing overtime then there may be additional lost income that can be claimed.

Using our free legal help before starting your dance floor accident claim

Should you wish to discuss your dance floor accident further and how best to proceed with a claim – we are happy to help.

See our free legal help options – you can select from various specialist solicitor online and telephone help.