A woman, who slipped and fell while dancing in a bar at Leopardstown Racecourse, has been awarded €28,802 in compensation for a slip on a dance floor after a hearing at the Circuit Civil Court.
Pauline McNamara (60) from Skerries, County Dublin, had visited the racecourse with friends on 28th December 2009 but, after the racing had been cancelled due to fog, retired to “The Fillies Bar” where a disc-jockey was encouraging people to dance in a tiled alcove of the bar.
Pauline was dancing with a man she had just met when she slipped on a wet patch on the floor and fell – hitting her head on the tiles and breaking her left wrist. After seeking medical treatment, Pauline made a claim for injury compensation for her slip on the dance floor, however her claim was contested.
Judge Matthew Deery at the Circuit Civil Court heard evidence from the manager of the bar – Mr Richard Smyth – that the man Pauline had been dancing with had been throwing her around the floor and the accident was caused by his “very rough” actions.
Judge Deery dismissed his defence, stating that impromptu dancing was permitted at the venue, but the bar had an inadequate cleaning system in place to cope with the number of customers it received when racing had been cancelled.
Awarding Pauline €28,802 compensation for a slip on a dance floor, Judge Deery said that the manner in which Pauline had fallen was consistent with the floor having been wet.