Andrea Innocenti A day in late January 2023 in Florence turned into an accident with medical and legal consequences for a 60-year-old woman. Heading downtown, between Via del Corso and Via Calzaiuoli , the sixty-year-old struck a glass door at the entrance of a lingerie store, suffering a fractured nose and a craniofacial trauma.
After rescue and treatment at the Santa Maria Nuova hospital , the case reached the Court of Florence, which decided on the division of responsibility.
The circumstances of the crash in central Florence
The woman was in a hurry to buy an item for her mother-in-law, who was due to be hospitalized the following day; this fact emerged during the proceedings.
Convinced the entrance was clear, she approached and hit the glass. She herself stated, "I didn't see the glass door closed, so I hit it ." Store staff rescued her and took her to the hospital, where doctors found, in addition to a broken nose, superficial wounds and a non-concussive skull trauma involving the cervical spine.
Visibility of the door and organization of the entrance
During the trial, the door's poor visibility was considered: the woman argued that the clean and uniform glass was not easily distinguishable and that there were no color-coded indicators or decals. On the other hand, the ruling noted the presence of a steel handle of appreciable size , extending from the base to almost halfway up the door, a factor deemed significant in assessing the retailer's liability.
The decision of the Court of Florence and the amount of compensation
The Court of Florence , in a decision issued by judge Liliana Anselmo de Vivo, attributed a 50-50 division of fault between the client and the company that owned the business. This division directly impacted the amount of compensation awarded. The woman had requested a total compensation of €24,000 , an amount that took into account the injuries and damages suffered.
Amounts already paid and final result
Before the ruling, the injured party had received a sum of €2.400 from the business's insurance policy . With the court's ruling, the total amount received was calculated at around €5 , including legal fees. The reduction compared to the initial request was motivated precisely by the recognition of the woman's co-responsibility, who, according to the judge, had not sufficiently grasped the obstacle due to her haste.
The court decision highlights how, in similar cases, the assessment of liability is based on objective factors such as the presence of warning devices on the door and the subjective conditions of the victim at the time of the accident. The ruling is an example of how the law establishes shared liability when external factors related to maintenance or entrance markings and personal circumstances such as haste contribute.
Practical implications for businesses and customers
This incident highlights the importance for owners of businesses with glass entrances to adopt clear and visible signage: colored stickers, decals, or other elements that make the door's presence immediately apparent. At the same time, it highlights how customer behavior, such as haste , can impact the quantification of damages and legal liability.
The incident in Florence therefore draws attention to two concrete aspects: the need to reduce the risk of tripping or collisions through appropriate signage at entrances and user awareness when navigating public and commercial spaces. Both factors were deemed relevant by the Court in the final assessment, which led to a 50/50 division of blame and the payment of a total compensation of approximately €5,000 , including the sum already advanced by the insurance company.