Student Injured by Collapsing Pub Seat Receives £1,200

A student who was injured after a pub seat collapsed underneath him has received £1,200 in damages from the brewery.

Faisal Hakeem, 20, was out with friends at a bar in Manchester when the bench on which he was sitting gave way. A protruding nail ripped his trousers and gashed his leg.

Mr Hakeem complained to the management at the bar, but they were unforthcoming so he decided to bring a personal injury claim.

The brewery which owns the bar has now agreed to pay Mr Hakeem £1,200 in compensation for the pain and injury he suffered.

Like all those in charge of areas open to the public, bar owners and operators have a duty to protect people from reasonably foreseeable injuries. In the case of a bar this means, amongst other things, making sure that benches and chairs are fit for customers’ use.

Public spaces include areas owned by the council as well as private premises such as supermarkets, banks and gyms. Injuries sustained because of faulty seating or liquid spills on walking surfaces are particularly common.

If you are injured through no fault of your own in premises open to the public, it is important to report the accident to staff at the time it occurs and to collect the names and addresses of any witnesses to the incident. It will also help your claim if you can produce photographic evidence to show what happened.