A Las Vegas jury has awarded $8 million to a middle school special education teacher who sued Barley's Casino & Brewing Co. after ...
A Las Vegas jury has awarded $8 million to a middle school special education teacher who sued Barley's Casino & Brewing Co. after being permanently injured when he was served cleaning solvents instead of tap beer at the casino bar.
Lon Enwright, 38, used to also work as a wine steward at Las Vegas Strip restaurants but lost his sense of taste due to the December, 18, 2018, injury at the bar, in Henderson, his attorney, Andre Lagomarsino, said Friday.
The negligence lawsuit said he was sickened and experienced convulsions after he asked for a sample of Honey Blonde ale on tap and was served caustic chemicals, which are corrosive and commonly used to clean beer taps and lines.
Enwright, a Ph.D., continues to teach and coach basketball, but has stomach and esophageal ulcers and is at an increased of risk of cancer, Lagomarsino added.
The attorney characterized the jury award as compensation for 'the loss of enjoyment of life.'
'As a result of defendant's negligence, Dr. Enwright has and will continue to suffer and seek treatment for lifelong internal damage, a lifelong burning sensation in his tongue, loss of taste, ulcers in the esophagus, and permanent damage to bodily tissue,' Lagomarsino said in a statement.
Lon Enwright, 38, a middle school special education teacher, lost his sense of taste and suffers from lifelong ulcers after he drank cleaning chemicals served to him at Barley´s Casino & Brewing Co., in Henderson, Nevada
The Las Vegas jury agreed to award Enwright $3 million in past damages and $5 million in future damages over the incident.
A spokesman for Station Casinos, the corporate parent of Barley's, did not immediately respond to messages about the verdict, which was reached on March 18 in Clark County District Court.
Enwright's attorneys said Barley's had admitted liability and offered $300,000 in damages before the trial.
A jury ordered the casino to pay out $8 millionto Enwright. His lawyers claimed the bartender was aware the beer lines were out of service for cleaning when he poured the drink
His lawyers said bar employees knew the beer lines were out of service for cleaning when they served Enwright his drink.
According to the lawyers, the chemicals contained in the cleaning compound were meant to liquefy and adhere to organic material.
Although it is not specified which cleaning solvents Enwright had drunk, beer line cleaners typically contain sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, chemicals that cause severe burns, vomiting and stomach pains if ingested.
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