(CNN) – A referee in Marion County, Tennessee, ordered the restaurant chain Firecracker barrel He paid $ 9.4 million per person, claiming that the company was responsible for giving him a full glass of chemical instead of water.
The award amount may be limited due to the Tennessee Civil Damages Act.
“The jury awarded $ 4.3 million in damages in just 30 minutes – one of the fastest verdicts we’ve ever seen – and after 10 minutes of additional deliberations, awarded $ 5 million in damages,” Thomas Greer, a lawyer for plaintiff William Cronon, told CNN.
“The speed of the verdict, coupled with more sums than we heard, speaks volumes about how dangerous the policy of the cracker barrel is,” Greer said.
Cracker Barrel said he was “disappointed” by the decision.
“While we have great respect for the legal process, we are apparently disappointed with the arbitral award in this case. The unfortunate and isolated incident occurred in one of our shops eight years ago,” the division said. In a statement sent to CNN by Parel Media Relations.
“While we are considering our options regarding this judgment, we are pleased that this matter is behind us so that we can better focus on caring for our guests and staff across the country,” the statement added.
This is what happened in the cracker barrel
Cronon was having lunch at a cracker barrel restaurant in Marion County in April 2014 when he absorbed what he thought was water, “it was not ice water, but some chemicals that caused him a burning sensation. Mouth and esophagus,” according to court documents obtained by CNN.
According to court documents, Cronnon was later found to have supplied Eco-San with a chemical used as a cleaning agent in the kitchen area.
According to the complaint, Eco-San, described as an corrosive chemical, caused severe and permanent bodily injuries to Cronnon.
Cronon is still suffering from symptoms, including injuries to his mouth and esophagus, Greer said, for which he is paying medical bills.
“The negligence of the cracker barrel not only caused physical harm to the customer, but also snatched away part of his identity,” he said.
Cronon declined to comment, Greer said.