The accident occurred after the wedding ceremony when Mrs Szablij was making her way down to the hotel's gardens. Unfortunately, the carpet at the top of the stairs was not correctly affixed to the steps. She put her foot down on what she thought was the first step, but there was nothing there to support her. As a result she hurt her leg and during the rest of the reception needed to be carried by wedding ushers.
Mrs Szablij's daughter wrote to the manager of the hotel but did not receive any response. Lawyers for Mrs Szablij argued that it was the hotel's responsibility to ensure the safety of its building and grounds. Such checks as were carried out had clearly overlooked the loose carpet which had caused the accident.
