Accident on Pet Farm
The plaintiff had booked the defendant’s pet farm for her daughter’s birthday party. She claimed that she was injured when she slipped on what she alleged was the wet floor in the reception area of the premises.
She claimed that she suffered severe personal injuries in her fall, loss, damage, and inconvenience. She accused the defendants of failing to have proper matting in place and alleged the wet floor was because of water ingress from the roof. Describing her injuries, she said she banged the right side of her head and ribcage. Her GP diagnosed her as having a soft-tissue injury. The plaintiff suffered from multiple-sclerosis and was on crutches.
The summons stated that the plaintiff’s conditions from the fall was not an aggravation of a pre-existing complaint as the plaintiff had not any previous ribcage injuries or pain prior to the fall. She was described as a bad candidate for a fall.
The defendants denied that the floor was wet, and that appropriate matting was in place and denied that the business was negligent. It was claimed that the plaintiff did not take adequate and proper care of her own safety and failed to ask for assistance prior to entering the premises when she knew or ought to have known that she required it.
One of the defendant’s owners stated in evidence that she spoke with the plaintiff when the accident happened, and that the plaintiff had told her of the medical diagnosis and that she was prone to falls.
On reviewing the evidence, the judge dismissed the plaintiff’s claim on the basis that she had failed to meet the burden of proof and there was no proof of negligence by the defendant. The judge said he was satisfied that the defendant had acted reasonably and had discharged their duty of care to the plaintiff.
Graune Pet Farm and Play Centre Circuit Court (Judge Eoin Garavan) 17 May 2023.