The coffee chain has argued her symptoms were present before the incident
A professional cellist is suing Starbucks for £2million for "ending her career" when a fridge fell on her head in London branch of the coffee chain.
Sally Kenyon, a professional cellist and music teacher, is pursuing a claim after the incident at the Embankment branch in central London left her unable to continue her career.
The mother of two, 44, was visiting the shop with her young daughters, 10 and 11, in 2022 when a large wooden surround from a fridge dislodged and struck her on the head.
The impact caused a cut near her right eyebrow that required hospital stitches and resulted in concussion, the Daily Mail reports.
Ms Kenyon, who lives in Wells, Somerset, says the freak accident triggered lasting and devastating health consequences that have permanently prevented her from working as a performer and teacher.
Starbucks maintains some of her conditions existed before the incident occurred.
The Somerset resident says she now endures chronic migraines on roughly 15 days each month, with episodes sometimes so debilitating that she is confined to bed for days at a stretch, symptoms she describes as constituting a disability in their own right.
Before the accident, her musical career had been the cornerstone of her life, with performing in orchestras and passing on her expertise to students providing deep fulfilment.
Beyond the migraines, Ms Kenyon reports suffering from persistent fatigue, excessive sleepiness, facial paralysis and a loss of sensation.
This includes difficulties affecting her memory, ability to plan and organise, as well as capacity for problem-solving.
Even everyday triggers such as bright lighting or social interaction can set off her symptoms.
Ms Kenyon's daily home life has also been severely affected, she says, with her capacity to look after her two children and handle household responsibilities significantly diminished compared to before the incident.
She had previously been a cello teacher at Millfield School, the prestigious independent school, where she found great satisfaction in sharing her musical knowledge and skills with pupils.
Her work and performances had been at the heart of her identity, and the loss of that role has compounded the physical toll of her injuries.
Ms Kenyon says she is now far less capable of managing the ordinary demands of domestic life, describing a stark contrast with the active, independent existence she led prior to the 2022 accident.
Starbucks acknowledges the wooden frame did strike Ms Kenyon but contests it bears liability for her ongoing condition, insisting she must prove negligence on its part.
The coffee chain points to what it says is a history of pre-existing health difficulties, claiming she had already taken 68 days off work due to anxiety before the accident and had been experiencing headaches and panic attacks.
Its medical expert maintains that Ms Kenyon would have continued to suffer health problems regardless of the incident.
A consultant neurologist instructed by Starbucks has characterised her reported symptoms as falling at the "worst end of the outcome spectrum following a minor head injury".
The case is being heard in Bristol, where Starbucks has declined to offer any public comment on the proceedings.
