Printer friendly version |  E-mail to a friend 

| Text Size: A A A A

Cleaners ordered to pay $100,000

A Brazos County jury has ordered a local dry cleaning chain to pay $100,000 to a former employee who suffered second- and third-degree burns while handling chemicals.

The jury took less than an hour Thursday to reach the unanimous verdict. Fabric Care Cleaners was ordered to pay John Patrick Seigler $60,000 for pain, mental anguish, loss of earnings, disfigurement, physical impairment and medical expenses.

The business was also ordered to pay $40,000 in punitive damages.

"It is rare for Brazos County juries to give punitive damages, which are basically punishment for what the jury considers egregious or bad behavior," said Seigler's lawyer, Scott Scherr. "This case was especially egregious because you have an employer who doesn't provide any safety equipment or safeguards for his employees."

According to court documents, Seigler was burned while pouring liquid laundry soap into a barrel on Nov. 8, 2006. He was not provided with gloves, safety equipment or training to handle the task, Scherr said. Seigler was 17 at the time.

"He wasn't even supposed to be near dangerous chemicals," Scherr said.

Scherr said in court filings that Seigler's supervisor did not have proper warning labels affixed on the chemicals and didn't warn Seigler about the chemicals.

"Prior to this incident, John Patrick Seigler Jr. asked what was in the barrel he was pouring and the defendant simply responded that the barrel contained 'soap,'" Scherr said in the lawsuit.

When the accident occurred, Seigler's skin began to bubble and burn, and his employer didn't offer any kind of medical care.

Seigler has permanent scars from the accident and can't wear shorts or sandals without people staring at his injury, Scherr said in the lawsuit.

Joseph Nance, who represented Fabric Care Cleaners, declined to comment on the case other than to say that he was exploring options for an appeal.