Man sues British Indian florist

July 18, 2007

A man, who fell and injured his back on a floral fragment beside a flower shop owned by a British Indian woman, is claiming 1.5 million pounds in compensation.

Yesterday, a judge ruled in favour of Brian Piccolo, a bank worker who claimed that flower shop owner Bella Patel should have maintained cleanliness in the thoroughfare of her shop, Chiltern Flowers, clean at Marylebone Station in Central London.

The incident that occurred four years ago had already cost Patel, 45, a huge sum and could end up ruining her, she said. She claimed that there was no proof that a single petal from her shop was to blame.

However, 50-year-old Piccolo, who arrived at the high court using a walking stick, has been on long-term sick leave and hospitalised for six months after the fall.

He said his life had been turned upside down since he was told that his condition will probably deteriorate and that may end up in a wheelchair.

The fall happened on March 10, 2003 as Piccolo was on his way to work. According to The Daily Mai, a security guard told Judge John Altman Tuesday that he had seen Piccolo slip on a "yellow petal" and described it as a "killer".

Patel spoke to the Hindustan Times saying that even her insurance would not be able to meet the full amount of Piccolo's claim.

"I have been told that our insurance runs to something like 8,00,000 pounds. So if the judge awards Piccolo the full amount, then we will be bankrupt and I will be financially ruined. I cannot believe this has been going on for so long and the judge has now ruled against me," she said.

Altman ruled that staff at Chiltern Flowers should have cleaned up outside the shop.

He said: "In the course of the shop's activities petals fell on to the concourse near the shop and I find that the presence of petals on this concourse floor presented a foreseeable hazard of slipping.”