A renowned furniture designer who suffered severe facial injuries after tripping over a stair in the upscale Chiltern Firehouse restaurant has sued the establishment for more than £200,000.
David Salmon, 61, of Nacton, Suffolk, shattered his nose and teeth, fractured bone spurs in his neck, and sustained injuries to his knee, upper torso, and both shoulders as a result of the 2018 tragedy.
Mr. Salmon, who now resides in Monaco and boasts of having made furniture for “most of the world’s royal homes,” has also stated that the incident caused PTSD and a “microscopic brain injury underlying post-concussion-type illness.”
Although Chiltern Street Hotel Ltd has claimed “principal culpability” for the accident, court documents indicate that Mr. Salmon’s intoxication contributed to his collapse.
However, Mr. Salmon blames the restaurant for the mishap, claiming they forgot to post a “watch the step” notice in the men’s restroom.
The 61-year-old further said that because the step tiles were the same color as the lower floor, there was no indication of a difference in level that seemed to be ‘two paces’ inside the restroom.
Mr. Salmon is suing the restaurant for over £200,000 in damages, alleging negligence for failing to warn of the danger, failing to provide a handrail, and failing to “clearly demark the edge of the stair.”
David Salmon, 61, of Nacton, Suffolk, shattered his nose and teeth, fractured bone spurs in his neck, and sustained injuries to his knee, upper body, and both shoulders during the 2018 accident.
The Chiltern Firehouse has stated that Mr. Salmon’s alcohol use over lunch was a “contributing factor” to the disaster.
David Powell, Mr. Salmon’s attorney, stated in court filings, ‘While it is admitted that Mr. Salmon consumed a bottle of wine with an associate while on the premises, it is alleged that he did so with a meal and over a rather extended period of time.
‘According to his own description, he is a ‘large guy,’ and he was accustomed to consuming so much wine with his meals.’
Under the circumstances, he was not intoxicated. In actuality, the wine he had drunk did not impede his capacity to perceive and/or comprehend the step under the aforementioned conditions, and so did not contribute to the accident.
‘Furthermore or otherwise, because the premises was a restaurant providing alcoholic beverages, the defendant should have anticipated that some of its patrons would have drunk alcohol and may have been impaired.’
In such instances, the step and/or floor posed a higher hazard or trap and/or a larger foreseeability of injury than in establishments where alcohol was not sold.
Mr. Salmon, who currently resides in Monaco, has also stated that the incident resulted in PTSD and a “microscopic brain injury underlying post-concussion-type illness.” Pictured: The restaurant’s interior design
Mr. Salmon is a renowned furniture designer and manufacturer who honed his skills in the field of antiques restoration and while working for English Heritage and the National Trust before establishing a prosperous furniture business.
According to his company’s website, David continues to create custom designs for famous architects and interior designers, individual clients, and the majority of royal homes around the world.
Mr. Salmon’s lawsuit against Chiltern Firehouse Ltd was filed with the High Court earlier this summer, although the case has not yet been heard by a court
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