In our work supporting people who have suffered injuries abroad, we have represented many holidaymakers who have had accidents involving hotel and apartment glass doors which have not met the required safety standards.
They are an all too common cause of holiday injuries and can bring an abrupt end to the enjoyment of a long-awaited break.
Children, of course, are particularly vulnerable to this type of injury, often not noticing glass doors or entrances in the excitement of being in the holiday environment.
We also support many adults who turn to us for advice having walked into a glass door which has then shattered and caused an injury.
So, let’s get the burning question answered straight away. If someone walks into a glass door and suffers an injury, is it their own fault?
It of course depends on the situation, and many hotels will suggest this in defence of a holiday injury claim against them.
However, this doesn’t rule out being able to pursue compensation for injuries suffered, the loss of enjoyment of your holiday and any related costs, if steps were not taken to lessen the risk of injury.
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Doors should meet safety standards and have appropriate stickers
Building regulations and safety standards differ from country to country, and may not be the same as in the UK, but each country will have a standard level of safety that glass doors must comply with.
If the doors are found not to have met that standard, it may be possible to make an accident on holiday claim for compensation.
Equally, if the hotel has not used appropriate safety stickers, making it hard to see the glass at certain times, the hotel could be found to have failed in its duty to protect its visitors and guests from potential injury.
By using appropriate warning stickers, keeping glassed areas well lit, and through the use of strengthened glass and regular maintenance of all relevant areas, the number of hotel glass door related injuries could be reduced.
How we’ve helped holidaymakers injured in glass door accidents abroad
Our team are experts in travel law and we have helped many UK holidaymakers involved in accidents at their hotels involving glass doors, which have resulted in facial injuries, scarring or shock, and indeed significant lacerations all over the body.
In one case our client, a 74-year-old man, had been in the hotel lobby when his wife called him to come outside because their mini bus had arrived to take them on an excursion. As he was leaving the Taoro Garden Hotel in Tenerife, he collided with the inner sliding glass door (there were two sets of sliding glass doors) face first.
The doors smashed, leaving him in a great deal of pain and bleeding from his nose, which had been fractured. He suffered black eyes, headaches, neck pain and flashbacks and was left with a scar on his nose.
In this case, our legal experts alleged that the hotel was at fault as it had failed to ensure the doors complied with Spanish building regulations and safety standards. Whilst the outer door was covered in lots of hexagonal warning stickers, the inner door, which he collided with, only had very small stickers.
We alleged the same size stickers should have been used on both doors to make it clear when they were closed.
Case successful despite defendant’s claim the injury was client’s own fault
In this case the defendant initially denied liability and claimed the accident had been a result of our client failing to take care of his own safety. They then claimed contributory negligence.
However, following our legal representations, and having issued proceedings for the case to be heard by a judge, the defendant made two offers to settle the case out of court (the first of which was rejected by our client).
The case settled with a £5,200 damages agreement being reached, without the need for the case to go to court.
We were pleased to secure this result for our client, recovering the cost of his holiday, and also to be informed that the new glass doors in the hotel included lots of larger and more visible warning stickers.
This simple change will hopefully prevent future similar accidents, more painful injuries, and more holidays being ruined.
If you’ve recognised that you or a member of your family has come to harm as a result of an injury abroad because of the actions of someone else, then you have the right to seek compensation.
All holiday accident claims start by getting in touch with our specialists. You can begin by contacting us via our claim form and selecting Accidents & Injury Abroad.
Read more: Accidents and Injury Abroad
