Cracker Barrel Ordered to Pay $9.4 Million to Man Who Was Served a Glass of Chemicals

A jury in Tennessee ordered Cracker Barrel (Lebanon, TN) to pay $9.4 million to a man who sustained permanent injury after the restaurant served him a glass of kitchen cleaner, CNN reports.

The plaintiff, William Cronnon, was having lunch at a Cracker Barrel in Marion County, Tennessee in April 2014 when he sipped what he believed was water, only to realize it “was some chemical that caused a burning sensation in his mouth and esophagus,” according to court documents obtained by the outlet.

It was later discovered that Cronnon had been served Eco-San, a chemical that was being used as a cleaner in the restaurant’s kitchen area. The chemical caused permanent and serious internal injury to the plaintiff, according to the complaint.

The plaintiff’s attorney, Thomas Greer, told CNN the jury needed just 30 minutes to return a verdict for compensatory damages of $4.3 million. The jury then awarded punitive damages of $5 million after an additional 10 minutes of deliberation.

Read more at CNN.