Pub Or Bar Accident Claims Guide

By Jo Anderson. Last updated 2nd January 2024. Welcome to our guide to making a pub or bar accident compensation claim. If you’re considering suing a nightclub for an injury, or claiming for accidents in a pub. this guide could be very helpful in ascertaining whether you could claim and how to do so.

There are thousands of pubs and bars up and down the country and as one of the biggest industries for employment, millions of people enter the doorways of pubs and bars every day. It therefore stands to reason that pubs and bars are one of the main locations for accidents and injuries to occur. In this guide, we’ll look at whether claiming against a pub or suing a nightclub for an injury might be a possibility for you.

Whether staff or customers, accidents in bars and pubs are relatively common with the wide array of potential hazards in the environment. From burns and cuts to falls and well floor slips, there are many reasons why you may need to think about a pub or bar personal injury claim.

claiming after an accident in a pub

Pub or bar accident compensation claim

Catering and hospitality staff are more likely to suffer a trip or fall accident than in any other industry but there may be other causes for pub or bar accident claims. You may have slipped on a wet floor in a pub or be the victim of employer negligence. Similarly, as a customer, you may have also fallen victim to similar causes of injury while in a pub, bar or nightclub.

If you have suffered an injury as the result of an accident in a pub, bar or nightclub, as a member of staff or a customer, then you may be entitled to compensation. Beginning a claim might seem daunting but this guide is designed to help explain the process and how Accident Claims can help you get the compensation for being injured in a pub you deserve. Once you have looked through our handy guide to see if you could be entitled to compensation, call us today on 0800 073 8801 to speak to one of our advisors.

Select a section

  1. Can I Claim For Injuries In A Pub Or Bar Accident?
  2. Time Limit For Pub Or Bar Accident Claims
  3. Pub and bar accident compensation calculator
  4. What can you include in your compensation claim for accidents in a pub?
  5. What to do if you have been injured in a bar or pub
  6. Claiming For A Pub Or Bar Accident With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
  7. Useful links Relating To Accidents In A Pub Or Bar

Can I Claim For Injuries In A Pub Or Bar Accident?

Those in control of a public place, owe a duty of care to members of the public who are using their premises for its intended purposes. This duty of care is outlined under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 and extends to pubs and bars. They must take the necessary steps to ensure your reasonable safety. For example, they could perform regular risk assessments and maintenance checks of the furniture and equipment used in the pub.

If you have been injured in a pub, to be eligible to make a personal injury claim, you would need to prove the following:

  1. You were owed a duty of care.
  2. This duty was breached.
  3. Due to this breach, you suffered an injury.

To learn more about the eligibility criteria for making a pub or bar accident compensation claim, please contact an advisor. They could check the eligibility of your case and provide you with advice on the next steps to take.

Time Limit For Pub Or Bar Accident Claims

If you’re eligible to make a personal injury claim following a pub accident, you would only have a set time within which you could file your claim. The Limitation Act 1980 sets a typical time limit for personal injury claims as 3 years from the date of the accident.

However, in some cases, there may be an exception. For example, if someone does not have the mental capacity to make a bar injury claim for themselves, the limitation period would pause indefinitely. During the time it is paused, an appropriate adult could apply to be a litigation friend for the injured party and file a claim on their behalf. If no claim was made, and the injured party regained this required mental capacity, they would have three years from the date of their recovery to start their own claim.

Certain exceptions can also be made to the time limit for those under the age of 18.

To learn what these exceptions are, or to check whether you still have enough time to begin legal proceedings, you can contact our team of advisors.

Pub and bar accident compensation calculator

Putting a figure on the amount of compensation you may receive at the beginning of pub or bar accident claims is nearly impossible as they are all different with unique circumstances. However, the below table gives you some ideas of how the severity of injuries incurred can have an effect on the total amount of compensation awarded in successful claims.

Edit
Type of injuries suffered How Severe Common Payout Bracket Notes
Multiple severe injuries resulting in financial costs and losses. Severe Up to £500,000+ A combination of injuries causing financial losses such as care costs or medical expenses, for example.
Leg injury Very serious (ii) £54,830 to £87,890 Examples in this range will result in permanent mobility problems. Mobility aids or crutches will be required for life.
Foot injury Severe (d) £41,970 to £70,030 Examples include fractures to both feet or heels that result in substantial mobility restriction.
Foot injury Moderate (f) £13,740 to £24,990 Displaced fractures causing continuing symptoms and deformity.
Back injury Severe (iii) £38,780 to £69,730 Disc lesions or fractures that lead to chronic conditions and disabilities that remain despite treatment.
Elbow injury Less Severe £15,650 to £32,010 The elbow suffers with impaired function but doesn’t need major surgery or result in a significant disability.
Arm injury (d) £6,610 to £19,200 Simple forearm fractures.
Hand injury Moderate £5,720 to £13,280 Penetrating wounds, soft tissue or crush injuries.
Shoulder injury Moderate £7,890 to £12,770 Limited movement and discomfort due to a frozen shoulder.
Finger injury Fracture £9,110 to £12,240 Fracture of an index finger.
Toe injury Moderate (e) Up to £9,600 Includes relatively straightforward fractures.

This table provides a rough guide to potential amounts that could be awarded after successful pub or bar accident claims.The figures in the table come from the Judicial College Guidelines. This is a publication that courts and lawyers could measure the medical evidence you provide against to see how much could be appropriate for your claim.

We recommend that you contact a solicitor for a more detailed estimate of how much your claim could be worth.

What can you include in your compensation claim for accidents in a pub?

Each claim for compensation for pub, bar and nightclub injuries is unique and so there are no set rules for what can be included. However, the following are general guidelines that you can consider including in your own claim:

  • Medical expenses: these are costs you have incurred as a direct result of your injury such as specialist equipment or treatment
  • Special damages: this may include extra losses as a consequence of the accident , these could include damage to a vehicle or jewellery
  • General damages: this is a little more vague and refers to the pain and suffering you have endured as a result of the accident
  • Care claim: if you have been in need of care assistance as a result of your injury, then you potentially can include this cost in your claim for your carer

Your expert solicitor will be able to help you ascertain exactly what you can include in your compensation claim.

What to do if you have been injured in a pub or bar

If you have been injured in an accident at a bar, pub or nightclub then it is advisable to begin to take action immediately so that if you do decide to make a nightclub injury claim then you have to correct evidence to support it. The first thing you need to do is ensure you have the correct medical care for any injury you have sustained, but then you should attempt to go through the following steps as soon as you are able:

  • Report the accident: every establishment should have an accident log and you should ensure that your accident is reported to a member of staff and then written down in the log. If are then suing a bar for injury then you will be able to refer to the accident log as proof that the accident occurred.
  • Collect any evidence: take photographs of where the accident happened and collect details of anyone who may have witnessed the accident.
  • Get a thorough medical examination: once you have been initially treated, it is advisable to get a thorough medical examination from a doctor who can attest to the injury you have sustained. This may also highlight any medical issues you are likely to face as a result of your injury.
  • Document everything: keep any and all documentation regarding your injury such as letters from any doctors you see, letters from work and also document all financial costs and losses as a result of the accident.

Following these steps can help support your claim for compensation for pub, bar and nightclub injuries and increase the likelihood of a positive outcome. The more evidence you have, the better your chances of success when claiming against a pub or suing a nightclub for an injury.

Claiming For A Pub Or Bar Accident With A No Win No Fee Solicitor

If you’re eligible to make a personal injury claim following an accident in a bar, you might wish to have a solicitor assist you with your case. A solicitor could help gather evidence and could negotiate compensation on your behalf.

If you have a valid claim, one of our solicitors may offer to represent you on a No Win No Fee basis under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). When you make a claim with a solicitor under a CFA, you don’t have to pay your solicitor for their services upfront or throughout the process of your claim. You also won’t have to pay them for their services should your claim fail.

If your claim successfully ends with a compensation payout, your solicitor will deduct a legally-capped success fee from this.

To ask further questions about pub or bar accident claims or learn whether one of our solicitors could work on your case on a No Win No Fee basis, please contact an advisor by:

Helpful links Relating To Accidents In A Pub Or Bar

HSE Guide to Safety – Catering

This guide from the HSE gives information on catering issues.

HSE details on pub flooring choices

This page gives information about pub flooring choices

Slip Stats – HSE

Slip statistics from the HSE

Causes of Accidents – HSE

More statistics on the causes of accidents.

Compensation For An Allergic Reaction

Thank you for reading to our guide to making a pub or bar accident compensation claim. If you’re considering suing a nightclub for an injury, or claiming for accidents in a pub. this guide has hopefully been helpful in helping ascertain whether you could claim and how to do so.