As with all commercial premises visited by members of the public, nightclubs and discos owe their customers a duty of care, and must take all reasonable measures to protect them from foreseeable injury risks while they are on the premises. The most common causes of accidents in nightclubs and discos include:
1) Spilled drinks in any area of a venue can create a slipping hazard for revellers, especially on dance floors and in bar areas and bathroom facilities. Inspections need to be routinely carried out by staff so that spillages are identified and cleared up as quickly as possible. Nightclub owners and organisers must make sure that a sufficient number of staff are on duty to monitor the behaviour of guests and maintain a reasonable level of safety.
2) Broken glasses and bottles are another regular cause of accidents in nightclubs and discos. Broken glass on dance floors, stairs and in other areas of a venue can cut people’s feet, hands or any other part of the body. Similarly to spilled drinks, an efficient system of monitoring and inspecting public areas of a venue, and clearing up broken glass as soon as it is identified will minimise the risk of injuries.
3) Tripping accidents at venues are also fairly common, and are often caused by damaged or uneven surfaces such as frayed carpeting, cracked tiles in bathrooms or damaged steps to stair. Clubs and discos are full of electrical cables linking up music equipment, lighting, screens and vending machines, and exposed trailing cables in public areas can easily cause revellers or venue staff to trip over and injure themselves.
4) Visitors to nightclubs and discos may also be injured when chairs, stools or tables collapse due to their defective state or poor assembly. Venue owners and organisers have a legal duty to provide safe furniture and furnishings which must be regularly inspected to monitor its condition and minimise the risk of injuries. A proper system of lighting is also important, particularly on stairs, in bathroom facilities, near entrances and exits, and on crowded dance floors. Inadequate lighting reduces the ability of visitors to move around a venue safely, and can result in trips, falls and potentially serious injuries.
If you have suffered an injury as a result of an accident in a nightclub that was not your fault, it will often be possible to claim compensation. Bartletts Solicitors has successfully represented guests injured at nightclubs across England and Wales. Find out more: