Make no mistake about it, restaurants can be very dangerous places for those who are untrained or untrustworthy.
And they can be very dangerous places for those who enter establishments where the people in charge (the various levels of management and the owner) are not trained on basic industry standards, policies and procedures, operating systems, and safety and health guidelines – especially those pertaining to something as basic as a cup of hot coffee or tea and, therefore, are not able to reasonably, customarily, and prudently recognize and resolve hazards and dangerous conditions.
We love the restaurant industry and the convenience of its drive-thrus, and so does the majority of the US population, but together we must demand a higher level of performance as it pertains to safety, health, and security for us all, and we believe that starts with more basic day-to-day operational training and oversight with something as straight forward and simple as passing a cup through a window.
Because when hot beverages are not served in a drive thru safely, they can result in burns so unbelievably bad that patrons (or employees) are forever changed physically and emotionally.
From hands-on experience, we can tell you that the number of incidents occurring each year in restaurants, bars and drive-thrus across America is truly mind-boggling. And for those of us that deal with them, and the people that they directly and indirectly impact, it’s heartbreaking. These burning and scalding incidents, accidents, events, and occurrences happen to employees, vendors, independent contractors, and customers from nearly every walk of life.
And if hot beverage burns in drive thrus can happen to them, it can happen to you, your spouse, your child, your parent, or your loved one at any time. The unfortunate truth is that the vast majority of these incidents are preventable.
So, the real question to those in charge must be this: Why would any person responsible for a restaurant make it any easier for the lawyers to wring them dry by failing to take every necessary precaution ahead of time? Make no mistake about it – the scrutiny will be harsh for everyone involved. The decision makers will be picked at and scrutinized thoroughly, but so will the employees and the vendors.
The Drive Thru Business is Still the People Business
We mostly deal with my fair share of hot coffee, hot tea, hot water, and hot chocolate burns, slip and falls on offal, and visible intoxication cases, but nothing can be filed away as run-of-the-mill, or not all that important, or not that big of deal when a person is getting injured, harmed, sickened, maimed, or killed. Ever. Every case we have ever dealt with has a significant impact on the people involved and those that love and care for them.
We can tell you with certainty and clarity that the restaurant industry is, and always has been, the “people business”, and if a person does not care about and love people, he/she shouldn’t be in this industry. We have always said that the restaurant industry is America’s most important industry. The enormous impact that each and every restaurant has on local communities, the economy, the workforce, and the social fabric where it is conducting business is without question and without equal.
So, let’s take care of them together, and maybe we can have fewer cases of the horrifying, life-altering hot beverage burns in drive thrus come across our office desks just because another person in America was out for a cup of joe.
Do you have a personal injury case that occurred at a restaurant or bar? The highly sought after expertise of Restaurant Expert Witness could be the factor that secures a victory in your case.
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