Q&A Should wife badly injured accessing restaurant via temporary ramps claim compensation?

Q:      Last weekend we visited a local restaurant with friends. The weather was hot and double doors that are normally closed were open, and two metal ramps had been placed side by side from the pavement to the top of a steep step. The ramps were not joined together, and we watched several people stumble as they moved when people stepped onto them. A waiter also dropped a tray of cocktails he was carrying for the same reason. On leaving we were cautious, but my wife stepped too near the edge of one ramp and it tipped up. She ended up in hospital and has broken her shoulder and collar bone. I contacted the restaurant owner and he apologised, but I feel we should take the matter further and my wife should get compensation. What should we do?

A:       The restaurant owner has a duty of care to ensure the premises are safe for all customers. Placing loose, unsecured pieces of ramp together as an intended means of access for his customers to enter his premises presents a foreseeable risk of injury. The fact that you saw other people and a waiter stumble on the ramps is further evidence of this, and you are absolutely right, your wife should claim compensation.

You should speak to a local personal injury solicitor as soon as you have gathered all the evidence together.

Hopefully photographs of the unsecured ramps, step and entrance doors were taken, but if they didn’t you should go back and take some (even if the ramps are no longer there). You should also take photographs of your wife’s injuries and keep all medical evidence and out of pocket expenses including hospital discharge letters, medication lists and hospital travel/parking receipts.

Before seeing a solicitor, you should write a comprehensive report of what happened, including details of others you saw stumble. Also ask all witnesses you are able to contact to do the same. 

This question has been answered by Daniel Stitt, a Solicitor with GHP Legal.  If you would like to speak to someone about this or any other legal matter, please visit our website www.ghplegal.com and use the contact us form, or call us on: Wrexham 01978 291456, Llangollen 01978 860313, Oswestry 01691 659194