£1670 for exploding shower door at pool- please help

[Showerexplosion]

My children attended a hotel swimming pool with my mum where they all have membership. A few weeks ago a shower door exploded while they were in the changing rooms. My mother maintains that my children did not touch the door and that it simply exploded.

Neither of my children were hit by the broken glass despite both being in only swimming costumes.

Today she received an email stating:

At approximately 16:10, the glass shower door in the ladies’ changing room was found shattered. Photographic evidence is attached. You reported the damage to Reception at that time, but no explanation was provided. Given the seriousness of the situation and the safety risks posed to other guests, we immediately initiated a full and detailed investigation.

As part of this investigation, we commissioned an independent professional specialising in glass safety and installation to assess the damaged door. Their expert conclusion was clear: the door did not fail due to a defect or spontaneous breakage. The shattering was consistent with improper handling or misuse, and not with normal or appropriate use of the facility.

We also reviewed our CCTV footage covering the Spa and Wellness area. The footage confirms that only yourself, xxxxxx and xxxxxx were present in the changing facilities during the time the damage occurred. No other individuals entered the area before or during the incident. This evidence, combined with the professional assessment, leaves no doubt that the door was broken due to inappropriate use while your grandsons were in the changing room.

The cost of replacing the door is £1,674.00. A detailed breakdown of the replacement cost is attached for your review and we request that you notify your insurers of this cost as we are seeking reimbursement of the replacement of this shower door caused by your actions.

In addition, due to the seriousness of the incident, the safety implications, and the behaviour that led to the damage, we have taken the decision to cancel both xxxxx and xxxxx memberships with immediate effect.

Are we liable for this cost? Are we entitled to a refund for the cancelled memberships - we have only used one month of a 3 month membership for both of them.

I include the pictures they sent me. Any help with how to respond greatly appreciated.

My sister's did too. All glass can explode as it will expand to fill in any defects. This especially happens with a temperature change. Glass outside tables are especially prone to this when exposed to heat. The newer types of Pyrex seems to be more prone than the old type too. Oven doors also are known to explode, especially if they are not hung perfectly.
The hotel should have insurance anyway. My sister's insurance company covered the shower door and damage from the flying glass to walls etc.

Ask for the glass safety report in full

Op I doubt it’s to get your child out of the facilities but also it sounds like they have very little to go on, hope it gets sorted easily, you don’t need that worry

Check your home insurance to see if you have free legal advice/representation. Would be good to get a robust letter drafted and sent.

I had a window spontaneously explode in the summer. Scared the life out of us all!

I would ignore the letter personally.

Good idea. If you have home and contents insurance it usually includes Public Liability insurance too.

I cant imagine any 6 year old is capable of doing that to a door. It looks like a faulty glass panel. My first response back to this would be to demand proof of the professional report around this. You want a copy of the original document and then refer to the part of the letter where they state it was your kids and ask why they are dilmng your children in the showers. No way would I be paying for that. That's what insurance is for. I would also be asking them to prove your kids did it. I actually think you should post the letter minus personal details on a legal page and aks someone to draft if. Even if you have a local group for autistic children ask if anyone has legal knowledge that can help. If you genuinely think they are doing this because your son is disabled them state that and how that would be a breach of the disability act.

Yes, ours did, heard a crash/waterfall noise when we were all downstairs eating, went up to find the whole glass shower screen in tiny pieces.

surely they can’t claim fault just because they were there when it happened

It is easy to suggest behaviour like this when you are not the one being sued but imagine if op actually did this how it might add to their case, proving that the family are vandals.

Are people looking at different photos to me?? There are lumps of plaster all over the floor and the frame has been pulled away from the wall!

My friend’s shower screen exploded like this. No one was in the room when it happened. It’s possible.

Yes, it absolutely does. Especially when it’s a safety or a tempered glass. This has happened a few times and it’s always down to the manufacturing defect combined with environmental changes such as temperature changes.

Don’t you think it would be a bit dangerous to create glass that could shatter like that in a changing room due to “improper use”? It wouldn’t make sense to design it to shatter this way as it would be dangerous so people naked in a changing room. It almost certainly shattered due to a manufacturing defect.

My shower door exploded, I was downstairs at the time, and had not been in that room for 20 hours. It happens. They’re trying to screw money out of you.

I always remember the day I reached for a small drinking glass (it was thickly cut glass) from a cupboard. One finger just touched it gentle (I hadn't picked it up) and the whole thing exploded with incredible force, which blew the glass out of the cupboard and up to 6metres down the hallway (luckily missing my eyes). I don't know what phenomena caused that, but having witnessed it, I do believe glass can shatter for no obvious reason.

This asides, it's an insurance job. The hotel will be covered for it.

of course glass can do this - have they never had a glass explode when putting into a washing up bowl thats hot or come out the dishwasher broken?

my neighbours patio table spontaneously exploded - it was summer and we think there was a teeny tiny hairline crack in it that had just weakened the structure enough. The glass expanded and this pressure caused it to shatter

Scientifically - glass expands when heated - the molecules in it are going haywire jiggling around over the place. any imperfections in the glass and likelihood is at some point it will go “boom”

that’s because the imperfections in the glass such as scratches, cracks ,nicks lead to thermal irregularities over the glass over time some parts heat and cool quicker than others and that leads to stress which leads to it exploding.

And because I am a grade A argumentative dickhead I’d tell them to fuck off on these terms

1. there’s no conceivable way that anyone can say with any certainty that the glass hadn’t been damaged at some point in the past accidentally or otherwise by someone else. It could have been damaged for a period of time before shattering and looking at the glass post - shattering under no circumstances would your expert be able to determine that any damage such as hairline cracks, nicks and scratches were not present prior to the glass shattering.

2. due to the nature of the environment (hot swimming pool/ changing room and wet steamy atmosphere in winter months where overnight temp would vary more significantly ) it is wholly reasonable and conceivable that a damaged door would explode

3. there is absolutely and unequivocally no evidence that your sons had touched the shower door, you categorically state they were no where near the door and the venue is incredibly lucky that their poor maintenance standards and failure to properly inspect and maintain public areas for safety issues didn’t result in injury to the children.

4. the fact that your children and mother were in the changing room but completely uninjured should also be clear enough to see that they were no where near the door as they would have been hit by glass and/or had to walk over shattered glass to exit the area. (Assuming they hadn’t used the shower itself?? The area looks dry??)

5. you expect a full refund of cancelled memberships so without undue delay as their facility is clearly poorly maintained and unsuitable for children particularly with those with additional needs. You also trust that this not an excuse by them to cancel your children’s membership due to your son’s autism which would be a flagrant breach of the Equality Act?

6. you are assuming they have adequate insurance and you suggest they seek repair costs through them as you are not liable and will not be paying.

7. any further contact regarding this matter or further threatening attempts by them to recover the costs of their negligence will be forwarded to solicitors as a matter of harassment.

and @Showerexplosion - gently - if your kids are known for hanging off things and climbing - I’d suggest keeping a closer eye on them in future - next time they could be seriously hurt.

From the title I initially assumed this was compensation they were offering you! Don’t pay a penny op.

These these kind of glass doors do shatter when untouched due to manufacturing defects as per many peoples replies.

Absolutely push back hard, very very hard and firmly. Asked to see the report and advise them you wish to get a second opinion by someone you were instructed. If this went to court there is no actual evidence and it would be dismissed. I don’t actually think a glass Expert can determine whether it’s shattered due to improper use or whether it just shattered regardless. Plus this Expert would have to stand up in Court.

This is why they have insurance for this kind of problem and it should just be them claiming on their insurance.

Counter sue as well, find a no win no fee solicitor first which is easy and get them to write the letter. The hotel will fold quickly then you can push for compensation for distress, lying about the Expert and cancelling the memberships. Fight fire with fire. I wish this happens to me it sounds exciting! Lol, I jest. Good luck OP!

This video shows that tempered glass can blow out spontaneously, either through imperfections in the manufacturing process, or temperature changes.

[Edit] Didn't realise I couldn't post a link, but if you search YouTube for "
Why tempered glass randomly explodes" it shows it's not that unheard of.

I had a glass shower screen explode when nobody was in the bahroom. Glass does it somehow. It maybe a result of general wear and tear, some small cracks that built up and so on. How would a small child shutter a presumably stirdy door like that.

Seeing as neither child was hurt (thank goodness!), I would also be questioning how they could be at fault as it would be very unlikely they’d escape without a scratch if they do something to cause it…

Surely they don’t have CCTV in a shower area so how can they ever enforce this or blame you? Do not pay that!

Ask for your own independent glass safety report to be carried out….

Of course that’s not going to be easy unless they have kept the evidence

My brother broke a shower door by swinging from it. He was not injured at all, just rather indignant.
He was naked, so nothing to protect him, and mum was in the bathroom with him at the time so no doubt it was him ( even if he did try to deny it, in the manner of caught out 4yos)

So it's certainly possible to not be injured.

Gosh this must have been very frightening for your kids. I also know people who have experienced this too re glass exploding.

I very much doubt they have got an expert report as this would cost more than replacement of the shower door (or close to). Ask them to send it to you.

You could also point out that your kids are only 6 years old and they were frightened by the experience as was their grandmother. It is fortunate that none of them were injured by the broken glass. The glass breaking was reported to reception at the time it happened due to being highly concerned about the broken glass as well as the healthy and safety implications of other shower doors.