Nevada: Station Casinos' Barley's to pay $8M fine for serving harmful cleaner instead of tap beer to customer

A jury in Las Vegas awarded $8 million to a middle school special education teacher who sued Barley’s Casino & Brewing Co. in Henderson, owned by Station Casinos, after being permanently injured when he was served cleaning solvents instead of tap beer in December 2018.

Lon Enwright, a 38-year-old Ph.D., lost his sense of taste due to the injury, his attorney, Andre Lagomarsino, said on Friday according to Associated Press. Moreover, he suffers from stomach and esophageal ulcers and is “at increased risk of cancer.” 

The lawyer described the jury award as compensation for “the loss of enjoyment of life.” The man is now also unable to work as a wine steward at Las Vegas Strip restaurants, a second job he used to have, following his loss of smell and taste.

Station Casinos, the corporate parent of Barley’s, has thus far not responded to media inquiries about the verdict, which was reached on March 18 in Clark County District Court, further says AP. Enwright’s attorneys said Barley’s admitted liability and offered $300,000 in damages before trial.

According to Enwright’s lawyers, bar employees knew the beer lines were out of service for cleaning. The suit revealed the man was sickened and experienced convulsions after he asked for a sample of Honey Blonde ale on tap, and instead was served caustic chemicals commonly used to clean beer taps and lines.

He was then advised to drink gallons of water to dilute the chemicals, but attorneys said doctors told Enwright that he "suffered permanent nerve and tissue damage to his mouth, tongue, and gastrointestinal system,” reports Fox 10. Attorneys said the liquid Enwright ingested was potassium hydroxide and nonylphenol polyethylene glycol ether.

"As a result of the 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," attorneys said in a statement. 

The jury took two hours of deliberation to render their verdict in favor of the plaintiff, awarding $3,000,000 in past non-economic damages and $5,000,000 in future non-economic damages for a total of $8,000,000.

Barley’s is operated by Town Center Amusements, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Station Casinos. It is thus far unclear if the company, which according to Enwright’s lawyers denied liability until four days before the trial began, will attempt to appeal the verdict.