The High Court has been hearing evidence in the first day of a hotel slip and fall injury claim made after a man slipped and hurt his shoulder on Easter Sunday 2009.
Benjamin Stanley (67) slipped and fell on Easter Sunday on his way to visiting the bathrooms at the Castle Arms Hotel in Durrow, County Loais, after escorting his dancing partners to their car. Unaware that he had torn a tendon in his shoulder, Benjamin continued to enjoy the rest of the evening´s entertainment before driving himself back to his home in Birr, County Offaly.
During the night, the pain in his shoulder worsened, and Benjamin needed to call a doctor. When the torn tendon in Benjamin´s shoulder was diagnosed, he had to undergo surgery to repair the injury – after which he sought legal advice and made a hotel slip and fall injury claim; alleging that the hotel had failed to monitor the condition of the floor and remove hazards.
The owner of the hotel, Seosamh Murphy, and the hotel´s licensee denied that they were liable for Benjamin´s shoulder injury – arguing that the floors of the hotel were inspected every two hours and that Benjamin caused the accident by rushing to the bathroom. Unable to assess Benjamin´s hotel slip and fall injury claim – the Injuries Board issued an Authorisation for Benjamin to take his claim to court.
The hearing of Benjamin´s hotel slip and fall injury claim started yesterday before Mr Justice Anthony Barr. The circumstances of Benjamin´s accident and injury were related to the court before Benjamin took the witness stand to deny allegations that he had been rushing to the bathroom because he had been drinking too much.
Benjamin testified that he definitely felt something beneath his shoe as he slipped, and it was whatever was on the floor that was the direct cause of his injury. Unable to resolve the hotel slip and fall injury claim in a single day, Judge Barr adjourned the hearing and the case continues.
