Bride Suing Venue For £150,000 After Slipping On Wedding Venue Dancefloor
Published
| Last updated
A bride is suing a high-end wedding venue for £150,000 after she slipped over in a puddle on the dancefloor during the disco.
35-year-old Cara Donovan fell and smashed her elbow on the high-tech light-up dancefloor at Leez Priory in Essex, which has been voted as the UK's Best Wedding Venue on several occasions.
The 'highly slippery' laminated floor in the cellar of the 16th century Tudor mansion - set in 40 acres of parkland near to Chelmsford - had a bit of spilled drink on it, which caused the special needs teacher to fall, leaving her in agony.
The accident happened in September 2018 and left her with a broken elbow that - despite three operations since - she claims causes her constant arm pain to this day.
She also claims that the injuries have left her unable to perform tasks at home, as well as unable to return to her work at the school.
Now, she's suing Country House Weddings Ltd, the company that owns the venue, for £150,000.
The papers submitted to the High Court state that the dancefloor, which was purchases and fitted in the cellar of the house once visited by Queen Elizabeth I, was known to be slippery, and that the supplier had warned against this, informing the company that drinks should not be taken onto it.
However, the case states that nothing was done to stop drinks being taken onto the dancefloor, and the wedding venue's own company advertisements showed dancers with drinks on the floor.
Donovan's barrister Philip Goddard said: "During the evening guests would go onto the dancefloor - either to cross it or to dance - holding glasses of drink and occasionally spilling drink onto the dancefloor,
"The dance floor became wet with patches of spilt drink. The dancefloor's underfloor lights made it difficult for those on the dancefloor to see spilt liquid on the surface.
"At about 10pm, the claimant went onto the floor to dance. She slipped in the spilt drink, fell and fractured her right, dominant, arm."
Mr Goddard continued: "She would like to return to teaching, but is inhibited by the injury,
"A fourth operation may be needed to remove a bone fragment, but its present condition is unlikely to improve."
Mrs Donovan says that she blames the company for her injury and says that the owners didn't put up 'no drinks' signs or position staff to tell people not to drink on the dancefloor.
Tables were also positioned right by it, Mr Goddard claims. He also claims that after the spillage staff did not stop dancers to clean up.
Mrs Donovan's claims have yet to go before a judge in evidence, and Country House Weddings Ltd's defence has not yet been made available from the court.
LADbible has reached out to Country House Weddings for a comment.
