SAN ANTONIO – Bill Miller Bar-B-Q has been ordered to pay approximately $2.8 million in a Bexar County lawsuit for serving “dangerously hot” barbecue sauce, according to the plaintiff’s lawyer.
A San Antonio woman sued Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Enterprises for allegedly serving the sauce that gave her a second-degree burn, court documents stated.
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Genesis Monita filed the lawsuit in October 2023 in Bexar County District Court, records show.
In May 2023, Monita and her sister went to the restaurant located at Loop 410 and Old Pearsall Road to order breakfast tacos from the drive-thru, according to the plaintiff’s original petition.
She ordered four tacos and barbecue sauce. After Monita paid, the clerk gave her the order in a brown paper bag, the lawsuit stated.
Monita drove directly to a space in the restaurant’s parking lot to eat her breakfast, the lawsuit claimed.
“When Monita took the container of bar-b-que sauce it was so hot that it caused her to drop the container and spill the sauce on her right thigh causing a second-degree burn,” the lawsuit stated.
The lawsuit also stated that Monita’s injuries and damages were caused by the restaurant’s negligence for serving dangerously hot barbecue sauce and failed to warn her it was hot, among other allegations.
Court documents allege Monita suffered physical and mental pain, physical impairment, disfigurement, medical and psychological expenses and lost wages.
KSAT spoke with Lawrence Morales, Monita’s lawyer, after the verdict was handed down on Friday.
Morales said the same incident happened two years ago at the same restaurant.
“Bill Miller’s policy says they serve the barbecue sauce at 165 degrees. It was served at 189 degrees on the date Monita was burned,” Morales said. “The state says it’s safe to serve at 135 degrees.”
Bill Miller allegedly served Monita the sauce 54 degrees higher than the state’s guidelines.
“How many more people need to be burned by the barbecue sauce for Bill Miller to fix it?” Morales said he asked the jury.
A Bexar County jury found the restaurant 100% negligent for the damages caused to Monita on Friday afternoon.
“We feel very pleased by the results of this case,” Morales said. “Genesis just wanted justice.”