Booze, skimpy outfits and loud music. Everybody likes to let their hair down now and then and what better way to finish a stressful week at work than by arranging a night out with your friends on the town. We might not be as young as we used to be, but from time to time it's good for us older folk to head on out to the bright lights of the city and reminisce to some of our favourites tunes on the dance floor. With a few cocktails sitting comfortably in our stomachs there's no stopping us. In bars and nightclubs across the UK the over 30s are strutting there funky stuff before many scantily clad youngsters. One thing's for sure, the days of getting completely sloshed on a Friday night are long behind us, no more running to the toilet, no more falls in ridiculously high heels. Nope, we have grown wise and our own fantastic personalities have replaced the need for cheap alcopops. When you look back, it's amazing that so many of us escaped suffering serious personal injuries. The truth is, nightclubs can be dangerous places and although some individuals might have a justifiable reason to make an accident claim against a club, it would be difficult to prove liability if you were intoxicated. Fatal accidents in nightclubs Unfortunately, accidents in nightclubs are not unusual and many clubbers have suffered serious head, neck and back injuries by tripping on a crowded dance floor or falling down a flight of stairs. One woman, tragically killed in a staircase accident was mother of two, Gillian Dawe. On 6th January 2007, Gillian was celebrating her 41st birthday with friends at the Darwen Roxy nightclub in Blackburn when she fell down approximately 20 steps. Club boss Reg Gorton said that Mrs Dawe had been enjoying a good evening at the club with her friends. He said, "She had been out celebrating her birthday and was telling me how she had two children aged six and ten and how she'd had a really good evening. "She wasn't drunk at all. I don't know how it happened. I'm grieving for her family. I'm still in shock about it. He described the moment he discovered she had fallen down the stairs. "I just nipped to the toilet and heard her friend shouting. There were about 20 steps but I'm not sure how far she fell. "She was unconscious so I put her in the recovery position and made sure nothing was blocking her airways." Mrs Dawe was rushed to the Royal Blackburn Hospital suffering from severe head injuries and died several days later. It is unlikely that an accident claim will be made for the fatal accident after a spokesperson for Lancashire Police described the incident as a "tragic accident". In a similar clubbing accident, a man from Stoke-on-Trent was also killed falling down a flight of stairs in a nightclub in Aberdeen. Russell Grindon, 22, was allegedly talking on his mobile when he fell down a set of steps at Jumping Jacks in September 2005. Police also described his death as an "unfortunate accident". Nightclub accident claims Occasionally, some clubbers will be able to make successful accident claims for personal injuries sustained in nightclub accidents. Lee Flanagan was one such partygoer to suffer injuries after falling on broken glass in a nightclub and cutting her wrist. Lee was enjoying the night with her friends when she slipped and fell on pieces of broken glass that hadn't been cleaned up by members of staff. She decided to contact personal injury solicitors and made a compensation claim for the deep cut she had sustained. Initially, her claim was rejected by the club's insurers who accused her of being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. However, it was later proven that the incident occurred very early on into the evening and that Lee had not been drinking. With the help of her solicitor, Lee was awarded a total of 3,250 in injury compensation. Unlike the UK, the United States has had some very controversial accident claims made by people who believe that certain dangers in nightclubs have caused their personal injuries. One such clubber from New York made a claim after she fell from a bar and suffered a severe knee injury. Megan Zacher, 22, was taking part in a competition called 'Shake it Like Shakira' in a bid to win $250 in prize money. But just as she began shaking her hips on top of the bar at Calico Jacks, she fell to the floor. Megan decided to consult a compensation solicitor and made an accident claim against Calico Jacks, stating that the surface of the bar was wet and forced her to slip. Her claim is still proceeding. Another incident to hit the headlines was a fatal accident claim made by a woman after her friend was killed in a drink-driving road accident. Sandra Fortin, of New Hampshire, was out spending money at a casino with her friend Lisa Mathews when after a few drinks they decided to head back home. Sadly, as the pair drove along Rout 101, Lisa lost control of the vehicle and crashed. She was killed in the accident and Sandra suffered severe personal injuries including whiplash. Following the car crash, Sandra lodged an accident claim against The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, stating that staff should have seen that her friend was intoxicated and refused to serve her anymore drinks. She believes that staff should have also stopped her friend from getting into the car and found alternative transport. The case is still proceeding. Not all of these accidents justify contacting a compensation solicitor but some claims genuinely represent the misfortune that clubbers can suffer by fault of a negligent nightclub. There are plenty of risks in bars and clubs throughout the UK so it is important that partygoers take responsibility for their own safety. So, the next time you decide to head out into the city make sure you enjoy your friends' company and make the most of the music but, most of all, make sure you cut down on the number of cocktails you drink. This article may be published on another website free of charge, on the condition that a link is provided from this article to our website: http://www.youclaim.co.uk/Personal-injury/Personal-injury.htm
Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
