An ice cream shop in a shopping center in Porto and an insurance company were ordered to pay compensation of 85 thousand euros to an eight-year-old girl who was given a glass of dishwasher detergent instead of water. The Porto Court of Appeal upheld the verdict of two defendants to pay compensation to the minor’s parents after the insurance company denied liability, according to a court statement. JN.
On September 17, 2018, a girl, accompanied by an employee of her father, who had a business in a shopping center, went into an ice cream store and asked for a glass of water. As explained JN, the employee poured liquid from a water bottle into a plastic cup and handed it to the child, who immediately spat it out. The employee tasted the contents of the glass and realized that it was dishwasher detergent.
It was proven in court that the bottle contained detergent because an employee who ran out of dishwashing liquid at an ice cream shop borrowed the liquid from a colleague at another establishment, who delivered it in a water bottle. During the shift, no one was notified of the contents of the bottle.
The eight-year-old girl was rushed to the São João hospital because her tongue was covered in blood, and despite being discharged the next day, she is still left with wounds in her esophagus and consequences that leave her with pain and difficulty eating.
The parents sought compensation from the ice cream shop and the insurance company, which said the accident was not covered by the contract because there was a safety violation due to “serious employee fault.” Now the Court of Appeal of Porto has confirmed the conviction, saying that “there is no factual or legal basis for concluding that the insurance contract is not applicable to this accident,” the publication quotes. JN.