Bars, nightclubs and restaurants that service the late-night crowd may maximize their use of the main floor by relegating bathrooms to a dark rear section of the building or even the basement. The goal is to maximize the space in which customers can dance and socialize, but the impact may be the creation of unnecessary risk.
Dark interior spaces are dangerous after alcohol consumption because they may increase the risk of slip-and-falls, especially if people must travel down stairs to get to the bathroom. Additionally, the dark conditions and segregation of spaces may increase the risk of opportunistic crimes.
Patrons may not be safe on their way to the bathroom
Jokes about how women go to the bathroom in groups often come up at mixed-sex social gatherings. However, when looking at the opportunistic crimes possible at bars, nightclubs and similar establishments, the benefits of going in a group become more apparent.
Darker spaces closed off from where patrons and employees can see are an ideal location for muggings and assaults. Inebriated patrons may stumble to the bathrooms, only to end up followed by someone with criminal intentions.
Bars, nightclubs and restaurants can easily predict these sorts of crimes, but many choose not to modernize their facilities or improve security practices. The decision to ignore obvious hazards can lead to a business’s liability for a crime that occurred on its premises.
If a crime does occur that results in medical expenses, property damage losses and other losses, such as lost wages, those affected by opportunistic public crimes may have grounds for a premises liability lawsuit. Reviewing what led to a violent crime near the bathrooms of a bar or restaurant with as skilled legal team could help injured patrons hold unsafe businesses responsible for exposing them unnecessarily to the risk of criminal activity.
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