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Slip and Falls Restaurant Accident Claims
Slip and fall accidents are one of the main causes of restaurant accident claims that our personal injury solicitors deal with. Restaurant customers and employees are injured every day by slip and fall accidents in the restaurant environment. These slip and fall accidents can be caused by uneven flooring, poorly maintained parking lots, slippery floors and unmaintained sidewalks, as well as other hazards or obstacles that can easily lead to slip and fall accidents. Kitchens can be a dangerous place to suffer a slip and fall accident, as there are various hot surfaces, sharp tools and heavy objects that could aggravate the situation and make the accident worse. As staff serve customers, there is an additional high risk of customer and employees suffering injuries as a result of spilled food and drinks.
Food Poisoning Restaurant Accidents
Customers can easily be affected by foodborne illnesses. Foodborne illnesses are actually very common in restaurant accident claims and the catchall phrase “food poisoning” is generally used to term together the various illnesses caused by different kinds of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Foodborne illnesses can be transmitted to customers by improper food handling, undercooked meat, contaminated food, raw food like seafood, eggs, and meats, and person-to-person transmission by staff who are ill, with poor hand-washing or hygiene measures in place.
Burn Injury Claims
When the waiter or waitress tells you to be careful because the plate or apparatus is hot, they actually mean it. Restaurant food is usually served extremely hot- as it comes out of the oven. Often this also means that the plate that the food dish is served on will be very hot, as it is kept warm in the kitchen before the food is dished up. Extremely hot food or coffee can give both customers and staff third-degree burns to their skin within seconds. Even lower temperature burns are quite painful.
Broken Teeth Claims
If you break a tooth because of a piece of glass, plastic or other item in your food, this is not only embarrassing but it is extremely painful and can result in disfigurement.
Punctured Wound Claims
Sharp objects on the floor can easily cause individuals injury. If a customer wears thin sandals or thin-soled shoes, and in some instances walks barefoot into a restaurant, and they stand on something sharp, this can leave them with puncture wounds. Examples of objects that cause harm in this manner include exposed screws, splintered wood, and broken glass. Puncture wounds can lead to tetanus, bacterial infections, and scarring.
Preventing Restaurant Accidents
Owners of restaurants have a duty to the public and to employees, to take necessary steps to prevent restaurant accidents. Responsibility for restaurant accidents usually results because the owner has failed to adhere to its duty. Food and drink spills can easily cause tripping and falling accidents to customers and staff, so it will be essential that restaurant staff erect a caution sign and remove the potential accident before anyone is harmed. Generally the restaurant floor areas should be clean, clutter-free and have no objects blocking the way for staff or in accordance with emergency exit access. Take extra care if your restaurant has carpets or mats, as these may serve as a hazard for employees and customers alike.
Low Lighting In Restaurants Causes Accidents
Often the lighting in restaurants is very dim, so as to create an ambience for the customers. This dim lighting does however increase the risk of accidents. When the lighting in an area is insufficient, restaurant accidents such as trips, falls down stairs or walking into a harmful object, can easily happen, including running into a harmful object or falling down on uneven steps. Restaurant owners should consider high risk areas and explore additional lighting options to help prevent restaurant accident claims. Chefs should be properly trained and vetted to ensure that they know the health and safety regulations and abide by the regulations generally in the kitchen. All food should be handled, stored, prepared and cooked pin accordance with the regulations to avoid food poisoning claims. Many instances of food poisoning may be averted through proper preparation and cook times. Lastly, chefs, cleaners and waiters and waitresses could easily cut themselves on knives or other sharp implements in the kitchen, and proper caution and safety measures should be in place to securely store and keep sharp tools and implements.
Safety From Staff In Restaurants Is Important
In summary, management, staff and customers should exercise caution in a restaurant. Where any potential hazard is present, management should ensure that strict guidelines are followed to prevent accidents from occurring. Safety measures should be followed at all times, and staff should be attentive and observant to avoid injury to themselves and others.
If you have been involved in any accident, we know and appreciate that this is a difficult and often stressful time and often a compensation claim is the last thing on your mind. It is important to do whatever you can to collect evidence and any necessary information about the restaurant, which could help to formulate your future restaurant accident claim.
If you are injured in a restaurant accident, you should immediately call for help. There is no need to feel embarrassed about the accident and you should definitely not leave without reporting what happened. If you can’t call the manager of the restaurant, ask someone that is with you or any other restaurant customer to do so. It is crucial that the manager knows about your restaurant accident and understands your injury and whatever caused it. If your restaurant accident is serious, you should seek urgent medical assistance. When you are able to, you or a friend or partner should follow up and ensure that the accident was reported effectively. If you leave the restaurant before reporting your injury, it may be difficult to prove that the injury occurred at the restaurant and if it did, when and how it occurred.
As an example, if you are involved in a restaurant accident and you step on a piece of glass which then punctures your foot, and you leave without informing the manager and reporting the accident, but at a later stage you decide to return and report your injury, it’s likely the glass will be gone by then and no one need believe you that you suffered your injury at the restaurant.
Witnesses Is Important To Restaurant Accident Claims
If you can get the details for any witnesses who saw your restaurant accident happen, this could make or break your restaurant accident claim. You could ask the witness to write down what they saw, sign and date that statement, or you could ask for permission to contact them at a later stage.
Photographs, video, and audio footage are always useful pieces of evidence when it comes to formulating a claim. If you are able to, use your cell phone to document the cause of your injury and the injury itself. Take good notes where possible and make sure to keep all necessary paperwork for making your claim. As soon as you can, write down or set out in an email, what you remember about the restaurant accident that lead up to your injury. Make sure to keep note of the names and contact information for the different people involved.
Medical Records In Needed
Arguably the most important detail and records that you need to keep is related to your medical records. Without medical records for your injury or illness caused by the restaurant accident, you won’t have a strong claim. Make sure to ask for copies of your medical records and receipts of expenses, as these will be included a part of your special damages claim.
Contact Free Legal Justice at any time of day, on any day of the week, by filling out the short online form and waiting for us to call you back for free, or by calling one of our friendly accident claims handlers on 0800 567 7074. If you would like to discuss your case from the comfort of your own home, please request a complimentary home visit from one of our friendly claim handlers, so that together we can make your claim as soon as possible.
The first thing to do if you think you have the basis of a restaurant accident claim is to get in touch with a legal professional from Free Legal Justice. We will provide you with free legal advice in a no-obligations discussion once you share the details of your claim. To correctly advise you on the merits of your restaurant accident claim, Free Legal Justice will need as much information as possible about the restaurant accident. You should keep all information and documentation at hand ready for your free consultation with one of our accident claims experts, including details such as:
Generally, you need to make a restaurant accident claim within three years of the date of the incident, or of the date on which you became aware of your injuries. There are exceptions on these time periods, for example you may be allowed a longer time period if you are claiming on behalf of a child or protected person. Similarly, if the accident was the result of criminal activity, time limits may vary.
Every accident that happens at a restaurant is unique, and so too is the compensation claim process that follows. Certain restaurant accident claims settle in a matter of months, while others are more intricate and will take longer to achieve a result. The duration of a matter will depend on the facts specific to the case and the actions taken by both parties to progress the matter. Our experienced accident claims solicitors have handled many accident claims in their legal careers, and will be able to give you good idea of how long your claim is likely to take once they have assessed the facts.
In general, the length of time it takes for your case to complete will depend on how complicated the facts of the accident are, and how quickly the parties decide to approach and progress the case to closure or settlement. Restaurant accident claims can become more complicated if the injuries suffered are extremely serious, or if there is a dispute over the material facts, as this may make it more difficult to prove legal responsibility for the injuries.
Get Legal Advice From Our Solicitors For Your Restaurant Accident Claims
No matter what caused restaurant accident, or who you think was responsible for causing the accident, it is important that you speak to a legal professional from Free Legal Justice as soon as possible to determine whether you have a valid restaurant accident claim. Our experienced accident claims team handle every claim through a fast-track assessment and allocation process; so that we can help our clients get the compensation they deserve as soon as possible.
The amount of compensation that you might receive in a restaurant claim can vary considerably depending on the nature and severity of the personal injuries you have suffered in the accident that occurred. Whether you think your injuries are rather slight or extremely serious, Free Legal Justice has a panel of specialists who are experienced in claiming for everything from minor to severe injuries. Our injury claims solicitors will be able to assess the value of your restaurant accident claim once we have received the details of what happened in the incident, who got hurt, and how they got hurt.
Maximum Compensation For Restaurant Accident Claims
As a victim of an accident where another person is legally to blame for your injuries, you may be entitled to a compensation claim for the costs of any medical bills, loss of income due to your injuries, as well as the cost of repairs for damages caused to any of your possessions. There are many components that can form part of your restaurant accident claim, and the total amount will calculated by looking at the seriousness of the injuries, together with the overall impact of the injuries on your life.
A restaurant accident claim includes a calculation of general and special damages. General damages can be described as compensation for personal injuries, while special damages are compensation for all the out of pocket expenses incurred by the victim of a restaurant accident. One of our injury claims experts will explain to you in detail what you can include as general and special damages should you decide to proceed with a restaurant accident claim.
General Damages In Restaurant Accident Claims
The general damages portion of your restaurant accident claim will be calculated by comparing the official Judicial Board Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases against the full medical report compiled by an independent doctor. This is a guideline which sets out how much victims of accidents can be claim as general damages for different levels of injury. The final amount of compensation will be dependent on factors such as how serious the injury was, complicating factors surrounding the injury, as well as the length of the recovery period.
There are many types of personal injuries that can be included in restaurant accident claims. As with any personal injury claim, the amount of compensation that an individual can claim will differ from one restaurant accident claim to the next, so it is never entirely possible to calculate 100% accurately what the claim is worth in advance. That being said, there are certain suggested brackets of compensation set out for the different levels of injury suffered in personal injury claims, which will assist in an early assessment of your claim. These amounts are set out by the Judiciary Study Board and will be used by Free Legal Justice to quantify your restaurant claim. Speak to a legal professional from Free Legal Justice today to get a better idea of the value of your restaurant accident claim.
Special Damages In Restaurant Accident Claims
To make a claim for special damages, you will be required to submit proof of those additional expenses or costs incurred as a result of the injuries that you have suffered in the restaurant accident. This includes those additional, out of the ordinary expenses that you have already incurred, as well as those that you will incur in the future. Special damages which are sometimes included in restaurant accident claims include:
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Legal Briefing
5 Min Analysis
Restaurant Accident Claims
27 February 2026 Litigation Board
Have You Or A Loved One Been Injured In A Restaurant Accident In The Past Three Years? You May Be Entitled To Financial Compensation.
Numerous types of accidents can occur in restaurants at any given moment. Restaurant accidents can happen to employees and guests at any time, and depending on the nature and severity of the accident, the injuries can cause lifelong damage to the victim.
Slip and Falls Restaurant Accident Claims
Slip and fall accidents are one of the main causes of restaurant accident claims that our personal injury solicitors deal with. Restaurant customers and employees are injured every day by slip and fall accidents in the restaurant environment. These slip and fall accidents can be caused by uneven flooring, poorly maintained parking lots, slippery floors and unmaintained sidewalks, as well as other hazards or obstacles that can easily lead to slip and fall accidents. Kitchens can be a dangerous place to suffer a slip and fall accident, as there are various hot surfaces, sharp tools and heavy objects that could aggravate the situation and make the accident worse. As staff serve customers, there is an additional high risk of customer and employees suffering injuries as a result of spilled food and drinks.
Food Poisoning Restaurant Accidents
Customers can easily be affected by foodborne illnesses. Foodborne illnesses are actually very common in restaurant accident claims and the catchall phrase “food poisoning” is generally used to term together the various illnesses caused by different kinds of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Foodborne illnesses can be transmitted to customers by improper food handling, undercooked meat, contaminated food, raw food like seafood, eggs, and meats, and person-to-person transmission by staff who are ill, with poor hand-washing or hygiene measures in place.
Burn Injury Claims
When the waiter or waitress tells you to be careful because the plate or apparatus is hot, they actually mean it. Restaurant food is usually served extremely hot- as it comes out of the oven. Often this also means that the plate that the food dish is served on will be very hot, as it is kept warm in the kitchen before the food is dished up. Extremely hot food or coffee can give both customers and staff third-degree burns to their skin within seconds. Even lower temperature burns are quite painful.
Broken Teeth Claims
If you break a tooth because of a piece of glass, plastic or other item in your food, this is not only embarrassing but it is extremely painful and can result in disfigurement.
Punctured Wound Claims
Sharp objects on the floor can easily cause individuals injury. If a customer wears thin sandals or thin-soled shoes, and in some instances walks barefoot into a restaurant, and they stand on something sharp, this can leave them with puncture wounds. Examples of objects that cause harm in this manner include exposed screws, splintered wood, and broken glass. Puncture wounds can lead to tetanus, bacterial infections, and scarring.
Preventing Restaurant Accidents
Owners of restaurants have a duty to the public and to employees, to take necessary steps to prevent restaurant accidents. Responsibility for restaurant accidents usually results because the owner has failed to adhere to its duty. Food and drink spills can easily cause tripping and falling accidents to customers and staff, so it will be essential that restaurant staff erect a caution sign and remove the potential accident before anyone is harmed. Generally the restaurant floor areas should be clean, clutter-free and have no objects blocking the way for staff or in accordance with emergency exit access. Take extra care if your restaurant has carpets or mats, as these may serve as a hazard for employees and customers alike.
Low Lighting In Restaurants Causes Accidents
Often the lighting in restaurants is very dim, so as to create an ambience for the customers. This dim lighting does however increase the risk of accidents. When the lighting in an area is insufficient, restaurant accidents such as trips, falls down stairs or walking into a harmful object, can easily happen, including running into a harmful object or falling down on uneven steps. Restaurant owners should consider high risk areas and explore additional lighting options to help prevent restaurant accident claims. Chefs should be properly trained and vetted to ensure that they know the health and safety regulations and abide by the regulations generally in the kitchen. All food should be handled, stored, prepared and cooked pin accordance with the regulations to avoid food poisoning claims. Many instances of food poisoning may be averted through proper preparation and cook times. Lastly, chefs, cleaners and waiters and waitresses could easily cut themselves on knives or other sharp implements in the kitchen, and proper caution and safety measures should be in place to securely store and keep sharp tools and implements.
Safety From Staff In Restaurants Is Important
In summary, management, staff and customers should exercise caution in a restaurant. Where any potential hazard is present, management should ensure that strict guidelines are followed to prevent accidents from occurring. Safety measures should be followed at all times, and staff should be attentive and observant to avoid injury to themselves and others.
If you have been involved in any accident, we know and appreciate that this is a difficult and often stressful time and often a compensation claim is the last thing on your mind. It is important to do whatever you can to collect evidence and any necessary information about the restaurant, which could help to formulate your future restaurant accident claim.
If you are injured in a restaurant accident, you should immediately call for help. There is no need to feel embarrassed about the accident and you should definitely not leave without reporting what happened. If you can’t call the manager of the restaurant, ask someone that is with you or any other restaurant customer to do so. It is crucial that the manager knows about your restaurant accident and understands your injury and whatever caused it. If your restaurant accident is serious, you should seek urgent medical assistance. When you are able to, you or a friend or partner should follow up and ensure that the accident was reported effectively. If you leave the restaurant before reporting your injury, it may be difficult to prove that the injury occurred at the restaurant and if it did, when and how it occurred.
As an example, if you are involved in a restaurant accident and you step on a piece of glass which then punctures your foot, and you leave without informing the manager and reporting the accident, but at a later stage you decide to return and report your injury, it’s likely the glass will be gone by then and no one need believe you that you suffered your injury at the restaurant.
Witnesses Is Important To Restaurant Accident Claims
If you can get the details for any witnesses who saw your restaurant accident happen, this could make or break your restaurant accident claim. You could ask the witness to write down what they saw, sign and date that statement, or you could ask for permission to contact them at a later stage.
Photographs, video, and audio footage are always useful pieces of evidence when it comes to formulating a claim. If you are able to, use your cell phone to document the cause of your injury and the injury itself. Take good notes where possible and make sure to keep all necessary paperwork for making your claim. As soon as you can, write down or set out in an email, what you remember about the restaurant accident that lead up to your injury. Make sure to keep note of the names and contact information for the different people involved.
Medical Records In Needed
Arguably the most important detail and records that you need to keep is related to your medical records. Without medical records for your injury or illness caused by the restaurant accident, you won’t have a strong claim. Make sure to ask for copies of your medical records and receipts of expenses, as these will be included a part of your special damages claim.
Contact Free Legal Justice at any time of day, on any day of the week, by filling out the short online form and waiting for us to call you back for free, or by calling one of our friendly accident claims handlers on 0800 567 7074. If you would like to discuss your case from the comfort of your own home, please request a complimentary home visit from one of our friendly claim handlers, so that together we can make your claim as soon as possible.
The first thing to do if you think you have the basis of a restaurant accident claim is to get in touch with a legal professional from Free Legal Justice. We will provide you with free legal advice in a no-obligations discussion once you share the details of your claim. To correctly advise you on the merits of your restaurant accident claim, Free Legal Justice will need as much information as possible about the restaurant accident. You should keep all information and documentation at hand ready for your free consultation with one of our accident claims experts, including details such as:
- How, where and why the accident happened;
- the name and details of those involved;
- nature of the injuries suffered or damage caused as a result of the accident;
- details of any medical reports; and
- Names of any witnesses to the accident
- Details of any witnesses and any witness statements drawn up;
- details of the safety measures, policies and processes in place at your work;
- details of safety training and first aid equipment at work;
- Photographs of the accident scene;
- Photographs of your injuries;
- A copy of the official accident report book wherein you reported your accident at work as soon as it happened
- Details of medical appointments that you have attended to diagnose or treat your injuries
- Details and receipts of any medication that a doctor has prescribed to treat your injuries
Generally, you need to make a restaurant accident claim within three years of the date of the incident, or of the date on which you became aware of your injuries. There are exceptions on these time periods, for example you may be allowed a longer time period if you are claiming on behalf of a child or protected person. Similarly, if the accident was the result of criminal activity, time limits may vary.
Every accident that happens at a restaurant is unique, and so too is the compensation claim process that follows. Certain restaurant accident claims settle in a matter of months, while others are more intricate and will take longer to achieve a result. The duration of a matter will depend on the facts specific to the case and the actions taken by both parties to progress the matter. Our experienced accident claims solicitors have handled many accident claims in their legal careers, and will be able to give you good idea of how long your claim is likely to take once they have assessed the facts.
In general, the length of time it takes for your case to complete will depend on how complicated the facts of the accident are, and how quickly the parties decide to approach and progress the case to closure or settlement. Restaurant accident claims can become more complicated if the injuries suffered are extremely serious, or if there is a dispute over the material facts, as this may make it more difficult to prove legal responsibility for the injuries.
Get Legal Advice From Our Solicitors For Your Restaurant Accident Claims
No matter what caused restaurant accident, or who you think was responsible for causing the accident, it is important that you speak to a legal professional from Free Legal Justice as soon as possible to determine whether you have a valid restaurant accident claim. Our experienced accident claims team handle every claim through a fast-track assessment and allocation process; so that we can help our clients get the compensation they deserve as soon as possible.
The amount of compensation that you might receive in a restaurant claim can vary considerably depending on the nature and severity of the personal injuries you have suffered in the accident that occurred. Whether you think your injuries are rather slight or extremely serious, Free Legal Justice has a panel of specialists who are experienced in claiming for everything from minor to severe injuries. Our injury claims solicitors will be able to assess the value of your restaurant accident claim once we have received the details of what happened in the incident, who got hurt, and how they got hurt.
Maximum Compensation For Restaurant Accident Claims
As a victim of an accident where another person is legally to blame for your injuries, you may be entitled to a compensation claim for the costs of any medical bills, loss of income due to your injuries, as well as the cost of repairs for damages caused to any of your possessions. There are many components that can form part of your restaurant accident claim, and the total amount will calculated by looking at the seriousness of the injuries, together with the overall impact of the injuries on your life.
A restaurant accident claim includes a calculation of general and special damages. General damages can be described as compensation for personal injuries, while special damages are compensation for all the out of pocket expenses incurred by the victim of a restaurant accident. One of our injury claims experts will explain to you in detail what you can include as general and special damages should you decide to proceed with a restaurant accident claim.
General Damages In Restaurant Accident Claims
The general damages portion of your restaurant accident claim will be calculated by comparing the official Judicial Board Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases against the full medical report compiled by an independent doctor. This is a guideline which sets out how much victims of accidents can be claim as general damages for different levels of injury. The final amount of compensation will be dependent on factors such as how serious the injury was, complicating factors surrounding the injury, as well as the length of the recovery period.
There are many types of personal injuries that can be included in restaurant accident claims. As with any personal injury claim, the amount of compensation that an individual can claim will differ from one restaurant accident claim to the next, so it is never entirely possible to calculate 100% accurately what the claim is worth in advance. That being said, there are certain suggested brackets of compensation set out for the different levels of injury suffered in personal injury claims, which will assist in an early assessment of your claim. These amounts are set out by the Judiciary Study Board and will be used by Free Legal Justice to quantify your restaurant claim. Speak to a legal professional from Free Legal Justice today to get a better idea of the value of your restaurant accident claim.
Special Damages In Restaurant Accident Claims
To make a claim for special damages, you will be required to submit proof of those additional expenses or costs incurred as a result of the injuries that you have suffered in the restaurant accident. This includes those additional, out of the ordinary expenses that you have already incurred, as well as those that you will incur in the future. Special damages which are sometimes included in restaurant accident claims include:
- Damage to your possessions;
- Prescription medication costs;
- Medical care, including physiotherapy & rehabilitation costs;
- Travel expenses, including travel to medical appointments and parking costs;
- Loss of past and future earnings, which is directly related to the incident and injury;
- Any loss of job opportunities, promotions, bonuses or pensions directly related to the injury; and
- Costs relating to the adaptation of your home, necessary to be able to live with your injuries.
- You will receive free legal assistance from one of our expert advisors as to how best to proceed with your restaurant accident claim;
- A member of the Free Legal Justice Team will be available to speak to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help you with any questions that you might have regarding your claim;
- If you are unsuccessful in your claim, we will not charge you any legal fees for the work that we have done on your case;
- You won’t pay a thing from your own pocket;
- We will help you to recover the maximum amount of compensation in the shortest possible time; and
- We will manage your case efficiently, keep you updated on its progress, and will try to make the entire compensation claim process as stress-free as possible for you.
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