MARION COUNTY, Tennessee — Cracker Barrel was ordered by a jury to pay $9.4 million to a man who drank what he believed was a glass of water, but turned out to be a cleaning liquid at one of their Tennessee restaurants.
The jury awarded $4.3 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damage, according to a statement from the man's attorney.
The incident happened about eight years ago when William Cronnon stopped at a Cracker Barrel for lunch in Marion County, Tennessee. The waitress refilled his glass with what he believed was water. The liquid turned out to be a mixture of water and Eco-San, which is a commercial-grade bleach, according to the statement.
Cronnon went to a hospital and developed gastro-intestinal issues afterward, including cramping and reflux pain after meals.
According to the attorney, Cracker Barrel allegedly "used unmarked water pitchers to mix water and Eco-San together, and then soaked parts of the soda machine in that mixture in order to clean them."
While Cronnon was in the hospital, Cracker Barrel's corporate office reportedly faxed a safety data sheet for Eco-San to the medical facility, which the attorney claimed indicated that the restaurant chain "knew immediately after the incident exactly what happened."
In an emailed statement to CBS, Cracker Barrel said it was "disappointed" with the outcome, adding that it "strongly disagrees" with the jury's award. The restaurant chain described the incident as an "unfortunate and isolated incident that occurred at one of our stores eight years ago."
The award could be reduced because of a $750,000 cap on damages under Tennessee law.
