£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.

it can- in a house I rented there was a terrific bang and I went upstairs and found a shower door had exploded and glass all over the en suite. No one upstairs at the time. Though I’m not saying that this is what happened in the OP’s case, just that it is possible for a shower door to explode.

I would reply I welcome a full and thorough investigation as my dc could have been seriously injured. For clarity, I can confirm I was present with the dc but none of us were touching (and thankfully none of us were close) when it shattered - hence none of us being injured. I take no responsibility for the damage I did not cause and am insulted by your accusation as a loyal hotel member. I await your apology - which I expect within 5 working days.

My mums washing machine shattered when not in use. She was stood right next to it and was hurt.

Given that they think it was your 6 year old children, I take it the cctv shows them injured? I fail to see how it would be possible for them to break the glass. Running into it would have resulted in them being injured. Hitting something into it from a close distance would have resulted in them being injured. They would have needed something very heavy to break it, or a hammer etc. How/why would they have something like that and how would they lift something heavy. Thrown from a distance surely safety glass wouldn't shatter when thrown by a child age 6.

I would check to see if you or your mother have any legal cover eg home insurance, Union membership etc

In the meanwhile say nothing until you get a letter from a solicitor

I suspect you wont get one as it could put the solicitor in an 'interesting' situation

Having CCTV in a changing room sounds a bit iffy as well

From AI

Under UK law, it is generally illegal and a breach of privacy to have CCTV in changing rooms, toilets, or other private areas, as it's not proportionate or justified, violating data protection (GDPR) and human rights. Exceptions are extremely rare (e.g., serious crime investigation with legal approval) and require extreme justification, clear signage, and police involvement, but normal security shouldn't use them.

Finally I have experienced a glass table shatter - it wasnt 'in use' but I suspect one end being in the shade while the other was in sunlight might have caused it

This...they have safety issues.

Definitely no payment for this. Sorry for the upset OP 💐

Why wouldn’t insurance cover this?

Unless they have video footage of your kids mishandling that glass door i
wouldn’t be paying.

I would maintain that door would have been potentially misused by any number of people and over time it definitely could have sustained some damage that then caused it to shatter spontaneously. Unless they can categorically prove your kids slammed it or pulled on it then their evidence is circumstantial and they are trying it on.

It did in my shower. It just shattered to bits. No one was in the bathroom at the time and we just heard a huge bangand crashand the glass was everywherewhen we went up.

An empty glass food storage container from ikea shattered in my hand the other day, I was holding it speaking to my husband and it just shattered everywhere. It had been in the fridge so maybe that made it fragile but it was a food container one would hope it could handle being in the fridge!

"Dear jokers."

"See you in court."

Then contact a solicitor.

I am pretty sure they cannot enforce this. They can't prove anything for a start. The fact that only your mum and your DC were in the shower room at the time the door 'exploded' is neither here nor there. Unless there is concrete proof that it was your mum and your DC, they will have a hard job collecting the £1670. Cheeky bastards. DO NOT PAY IT. As I say, consult a solicitor.

How nasty of them to cancel your membership too!

Tell them to fuck off.

Their glass door was not up to health and safety standards.

They should have insurance.

If you were injured you could sue them.

You're definitely not liable here. Write them a reply - ask a solicitor friend if you have one or citizens advise or even AI and tell them the above and you will have nothing to do with them again.

I'd agree with this.
I was all ready to say that shower door do explode spontaneously, but that photo looks to me like a child was swinging on it and pulled it off, so I can see how they may be coming to that conclusion.

This is absolutely awful. I would be responding saying that you do not accept liability and given the nature of the email and the fact this could have caused serious injury to your children, you will now be persuing legal advice and contacting the media. Unless they have cctv which shows damage actually being caused (which it doesn't sound like they have) they can't prove anything. They will likely have a PR team who will not want this to get out.

I wouldn’t pay. I’d actually threaten them with legal action for the safety risks to your mother and children that their improper facilities caused and for the unfair cancellation of their memberships.

www.thespruce.com/glass-shower-door-shattered-by-itself-3972517

So this independent expert assessed a bin full of broken glass and a bent bit of aluminium frame and some photo's?
I doubt that's evidence enough to say whether the frame was bent through force (by an uninjured 6 year old) and caused the glass to shattered, as opposed the the force of the glass shattering quickly effecting the frame?

Get some free legal advice, (see if you have any theough your home insurance too?) and let them take you to court.

I've heard it happening to glass table tops, Something to to with the metal frame and something expanding and contracting. Read it a while ago, and can't remember the details.

In fact, someone I know told me it had happened to the: someone who couldn't be bothered to lie about something like that.

My friend's patio door exploded last summer and I know two people whose oven doors have shattered spontaneously as well, so it absolutely does happen.

Yes, it 100% can! I've seen a whole glass banister in a shop smash spontaneously with nobody near it.

Tell them to jog on @Showerexplosion

It's your mum who should be getting money to compensate for the trauma. Send them a link to this thread and ask if its okay if you send the photos to your mate at the local paper. She is interested in covering the story ... along with a cute photo of twins and a granny.

If it’s safety glass how on earth do they think the kids could have broken it? We had a pain of glass go off like bomb at home probably due to hot weather and my daughter continually shutting it roughly. On the day it happened she gently closed it (I was there) and it exploded. Amazing no one hurt

I can't really tell from the photos, but are the hinges detached from the wall?

It's laughable that they've even bothered to send that email.

Do you have legal cover with your home insurance?

I'm petty, but I would gather around 20 examples of exploding glass (the more legitimate the source the better - no mumsnet examples 😆), and send it to them with a brief note with your bank details where you expect the FULL 3 month membership costs to be refunded, and say that if there are any further accusations you will be seeking legal advise.

E.g. https://www.trueblueglass.com.au/can-glass-explode-spontaneously/

Is your Mum still a member and planning on going?

I might make a complaint to the ICO and The Police about CCTV in the changing room, that might rock their boat!

It looks to me like the hinge part is what held the glass pane rather than the bit that was attached to the wall