A Tennessee jury has awarded damages far above what the plaintiff asked for, after finding the Cracker Barrell restaurant company at fault for allowing a customer to accidentally drink a cleaning compound.
The customer, William Cronnon, was having lunch in 2014 when he took a sip of what he thought was water. It turned out it was a cleaning chemical known as Eco-San, which was used in the kitchen area. The compound burned his mouth and esophagus, the lawsuit said.
Cronnon’s lawsuit asked for $150,000 in damages, which are limited by Tennessee law. But the jury took just 30 minutes to reach the verdict of $4.3 million in compensatory damages, and another 10 minutes to award $5 million in punitive damages.
The speed of the verdict and the amount of damages speaks to “how dangerous the Cracker Barrel policy was,” the plaintiff’s attorney told CNN.
Witnesses testified in the trial that staff sometimes used unmarked water pitchers containing Eco-San to soak kitchen utensils.
Cracker Barrel officials said in a statement that they disagree with the verdict, and said it stemmed from an isolated incident eight years ago, according to news outlets. The company is considering whether to appeal.
The damages may be limited to just $750,000, due to damage caps in state statutes, according to news outlets.
Topics Tennessee
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