Texas Woman Awarded $2.9M in BBQ Sauce Lawsuit

Genesis Monita was awarded $2.9 million after suffering second-degree burns from hot barbecue sauce at Bill Miller Bar-B-Q in San Antonio, Texas. The lawsuit claimed that the restaurant negligently served the sauce at 189 degrees, exceeding their policy of 165 degrees, without warning Monita of the temperature or providing a proper container. The incident occurred on May 19, 2023, when Monita and her sister purchased breakfast tacos and Monita spilled the hot sauce onto her thigh. Despite the restaurant's prior offer to cover her medical expenses, lost wages, and cleaning costs, Monita pursued legal action, resulting in the jury awarding her $900,000 in compensatory damages and $1.8 million in punitive damages. Her lawyer, Lawrence Morales II, highlighted the restaurant's violation of its own safety policies during the trial.