Solicitor claims damages from Maxwell's Restaurants

A solicitor is suing a London restaurant for more than £50,000 for brain damage after a Perrier bottle was allegedly knocked from a gallery and hit her on the head.

Celine Mertens has issued a High Court writ against PJ's Bar and Grill in Fulham, part of Maxwell's Restaurants group, which has nine operations in England.

Mertens claims that the bottle fell from a table at a gallery 16ft above her at the restaurant and that since the accident, in September 1996, she has had serious personality disorders that have affected her work. She is also claiming financial loss.

Her solicitor, Elizabeth Smith, said: "[Mertens] was wheezy and dizzy the following morning and she went to the hospital the next day. She has suffered mood swings and a lack of concentration. She now has a job, but for how long remains to be seen."

A spokeswoman from Maxwell's said: "We are aware of the alleged incident and our solicitors are dealing with it. We feel it is prudent not to comment at the moment."