ORLANDO, Florida. On June 2, 2016, after a three day trial, a jury returned a verdict of $250,000 for a young woman who suffered second-degree burns to her inner thighs and genital area when a bowl of hot “Caribbean” soup fell through the bottom of a paper bag and spilled on her lap at a Pollo Tropical drive-thru. The young woman’s attorney argued that Pollo Tropical should have used a plastic bag to serve the hot soup to-go.
Witnesses testified that the hot soup was served straight out of the kettle and within seconds was on the young woman’s lap. The drive-thru attendant that served the hot soup stated that she was never trained to use a plastic bag to package hot soup for customers and regularly saw other employees serving hot soup in paper bags.
Almost a year prior to this incident, another young woman complained to Pollo Tropical that she was seriously burned when the hot chicken soup suddenly fell through the bottom of a paper bag minutes after she received it from Pollo Tropical. The soup spilled on her, causing second-degree burns to her inner thigh. In that case, the young woman had to have her pants surgically removed at the emergency room because the heat of the soup melted her skin to the fabric of her pants. She claimed that she sustained permanent scaring as a result.
Pollo Tropical is not the only fast food chain guilty of carelessly serving hot soup in paper bags. Many restaurants do the same, failing to understand the danger. When the paper bag becomes wet, it begins to disintegrate silently as it makes its way to the customer. Restaurant chains like Pollo Tropical have an obligation to ensure that their employees serve food in a safe manner. Taking the extra step of placing the order in a plastic bag can make the difference between a spoiled lunch and a ruined body.
The injured woman’s attorney, Louiza Tarassova notes that the most frustrating aspect of this case has been Pollo Tropical’s arrogance.
“From the beginning Pollo Tropical did not take my client’s claims seriously and did not have any sympathy for the pain and suffering that resulted from its negligence.”
Pollo Tropical never acknowledged any wrongdoing and never apologized to the young woman.
Louiza Tarassova, the attorney that represented the young woman at trial graduated from Stetson College of Law and has her own legal practice in Orlando, Florida. Her law firm focuses primarily on litigating personal injury cases against large corporations.
For more information please contact The Law Office of Louiza Tarassova, P.A. at info@mylawadvocate.com or call 407-622-1885.