Cracker Barrel has been ordered by a Tennessee jury to pay a man $9.4 million after he was served a glass of chemicals instead of water.
The jury awarded William Cronnon $4.2 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, his attorney told CNN.
Cronnon had asked for $150,000 in damages, according to court records, WTVC reported.
Cracker Barrel said it was “disappointed” with the result.
“While we have great respect for the legal process, we are obviously disappointed by and strongly disagree with the jury’s award in this case, which involved an unfortunate and isolated incident that occurred at one of our stores eight years ago,” a company spokesperson told CNN in a statement.
The company said it is reviewing its options.
Cronnon was eating at a Marion County, Tennessee, Cracker Barrel in April 2014. He took a sip of what he expected to be water but was instead a chemical that caused a burning sensation to his mouth and esophagus.
It was discovered the glass contained Eco-San, a corrosive chemical used for cleaning in the kitchen that caused permanent and serious internal physical injury to Cronnon, CNN reported.
WTVC reported that Eco-San is a category 3 health risk and that it is an extreme danger according to the National Fire Protection Association.
The safety data sheet on Eco-San shows it’s a category 3 health risk, which the NFPA categorizes as extreme danger. Cronnon’s attorneys proved that the restaurant showed extreme negligence and should have recognized the dangers after he experienced symptoms of distress. pic.twitter.com/Q7qmKS6Ug7
— Samuel Peña (@SamPenaWTVC) January 13, 2022
©2022 Cox Media Group
