A woman who claims she suffered a “horrific” leg fracture after falling on an allegedly wet floor at her local pub has sued for damages.
Samantha Griffin claims she was dancing to music in the lounge of The Laurels pub, Clondalkin, Dublin, when she fell backwards about 2.45am and ended up on the floor.
“I went to step back, I went flying. I slipped back. I fell on my back. My skirt and underwear were wet,“ she told Mr Juatice Bernard Barton at the High Court.
She disagreed with counsel for the pub that the floor was “bone dry”.
The defence denies liability, pleads Ms Griffin lost her balance due to pushing another customer away from her while dancing and also claims consumption of alcohol affected her balance. Ms Griffin had consumed four or five drinks during the evening, the court was told.
Ms Griffin (47), a mother of two, Cherrywood Grove, Clondalkin, has sued Bellway Ltd, with offices at Lower Camden Street, Dublin, trading as The Laurels, Main Street, Clondalkin, as a result of the accident on December 7th, 2013.
She alleges failure to properly or adequately maintain the floor and that patrons were allegedly allowed to dance in close proximity to tables containing drinks. Patrons were also allowed to dance while holding or consuming drinks, she claims.
Pushed customer
Bellway denies the claims and contends Ms Griffin pushed a fellow customer away from her whilst dancing and lost her balance.
It also pleads contributory negligence by Ms Griffin and she had allegedly consumed alcohol such as to impair her balance.
Opening the case, Declan Buckley SC, for Ms Griffin, said Ms Griffin suffered a horrific fracture to her lower leg and has been left with constant pain.
He said Ms Griffin had gone to the pub with a female friend, had about five drinks during the course of the night and was not “hiding from that”.
In evidence, Ms Griffin said she got to the pub at 10pm when she had a pint of Budweiser and she had a total four or five drinks during the evening.
She said she was dancing at 2.45am with other people when a man approached her and made a “provocative” comment.
“I put my hand up and asked him to step out of my space. I went to step back. I went flying. I slipped back. I fell on my back. My skirt and underwear were wet.”
She had pain everywhere and had screamed not to move her, she said.
She used to take part in charity runs but now cannot run and also finds stairs difficult, she said.
In cross-examination, when Hugh Mohan SC, for Bellway, put to her the floor was “bone dry”, Ms Griffin said she disagreed with that.
The case continues.