Sally Kenyon, 44, was at the Starbucks branch on London's Embankment in 2022 when a large wooden fridge surround fell onto her head. The Mail on Sunday reported that she was on a day out with her two daughters, aged 10 and 11, and needed stitches for a cut around her right eyebrow.
Her legal team says the incident has profoundly impacted her life. Mrs Kenyon, from Wells in Somerset, says she suffered concussion, migraines and other serious symptoms that ended her career as a professional cellist.
Impact on career and daily life
Mrs Kenyon taught music at Millfield School, one of the country's leading private schools. She says she now experiences chronic migraines up to 15 times a month, with some episodes severe enough to keep her in bed for days. She has been unable to perform since the head injury.
She also describes fatigue, sleepiness, facial paralysis and sensory loss, as well as memory, planning and organisational problems. Her symptoms can be triggered by social interaction or bright lights, and she says her ability to care for her children and carry out housework has been affected.
Starbucks disputes the claim
Starbucks has admitted Mrs Kenyon was hit by the wooden frame but argues that she had already taken 68 days off work before the incident because of anxiety, with symptoms including headaches and panic attacks. The company rejects negligence claims and insists she should be required to prove them.
Starbucks has also put forward a medical expert's opinion that she would have suffered health problems even if the incident had not occurred. A consultant neurologist giving evidence for the company described her symptoms as the "worst end of the outcome spectrum following a minor head injury".
The case is ongoing at the High Court in Bristol.
