Man Served Sanitizer, Not Water, At Tennessee Cracker Barrel Wins $4.3 Million Lawsuit

MARION COUNTY, TN — When William Cronnon went into a Tennessee Cracker Barrel and ordered a glass of water, he probably wasn’t expecting to be served a glass of sanitizer instead. Now, he’s getting millions of dollars due to the restaurant's potentially dangerous mix-up.

A Marion County jury recently awarded Cronnon $3.6 million in non-economic damages and $730,000 in economic damages after he was served a glass of Eco-San sanitizer during a 2014 visit to Cracker Barrel.

The sanitizer is a chemical used to clean the restaurant’s kitchen and was kept in unmarked pitchers, WTVC reported, citing court documents. It is considered a category 3 health risk, which the National Fire Protection Association categorizes as “extremely dangerous.”

The jury ruled Cracker Barrel was at fault after Cronnon took a drink of the sanitizer, causing serious physical injuries and burning his mouth and esophagus.

The lawsuit, which originally asked for $150,000 in damages, says Cronnon is still suffering from these injuries today, according to WCTV.

Despite the large award, Cronnon will only see about $750,000 due to a Tennessee law placing a cap on the amount of damages a plaintiff can receive.

In a statement provided to WTVC, a Cracker Barrel spokesperson said the company was “disappointed” by the decision.

"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,” the statement read. “Although we are considering our options with respect to this verdict, we are glad this matter is behind us so we can better focus on caring for our guests and employees around the country."