Woman sues Bray hotel over alleged scalding from room kettle

A woman is suing a hotel alleging she was scalded with boiling water that burst from her room’s kettle “like a geyser”.

Anna Kolton, of Ridge Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois, said she and her partner had returned to their room at the Esplanade Hotel on Bray’s Stand Road late in the evening of July 22nd, 2019.

She was trying on clothes as she boiled the kettle for tea when suddenly she heard a loud noise “like a gunshot or explosion”, she told the High Court on Thursday via a Polish interpreter.

She claims to have felt a “severe burning pain” on her back and neck and said she noticed water from the kettle had spilled onto the wall and the ceiling. She continues to have a discoloured area measuring 20 centimetres by six centimetres on her back, it is claimed.

Ms Kolton, represented by Barney Quirke SC, instructed by O’Brien Murphy Solicitors, is suing Parmont Limited, which trades as the Esplanade Hotel, at Strand Road, Bray, Co Wicklow.

Parmont denies all of the allegations and claims Ms Kolton failed to exercise any or any reasonable care for her safety in the circumstances. Further, Parmont claims she failed to use her common sense and knowledge of a simple household appliance and failed to use it properly and/or in a safe manner.

Her then-partner told the court through an interpreter that he had observed the water burst from the kettle “like a geyser”, hitting Ms Kolton, as well as the wall and ceiling. He did not agree with the statement, put to him by defence barrister Jonathan Kilfeather SC, that it was “most improbable” that the water from a half-filled kettle could have hit all of the things he had described.

An engineering expert on behalf of the plaintiff said he inspected the kettle and there was damage to it consistent with the lid being wrenched open. He said if there was a build-up of limescale on the appliance’s filter, it could eventually restrict or eliminate the ability of the steam to exit through the spout when water is boiling.

It is claimed the defendant failed to have regard for Ms Kolton’s safety and exposed her to the risk of injury. Further, it is alleged the hotel provided a kettle that was in a dangerous and defective condition. There was also an alleged failure to properly maintain the appliance.

The case continues before Mr Justice Garrett Simons on Friday.