A flaming shot ordered at a prominent Bengaluru pub in February 2019 turned into a nightmare for a 28-year-old woman when she suffered burn injuries on her face. More than two-and-a-half years later, the woman won a legal battle against the pub and has been awarded a compensation of Rs 74,000. The woman, who is from Akshayanagar in the city, visited Communiti, a popular pub and diner on Residency Road in central Bengaluru on the evening of February 15, 2019. She was meeting three of her friends at the pub when she alleged that a staff member working at the pub encouraged her to order Sambuca Shots, an alcoholic drink that is lit up in flames before consumption.
But during the process of pouring the drink into her mouth, the woman suffered burns on the left side of her mouth and was taken to a hospital by her friends and a staff member of the pub, the Times of India reported. In November 2019, after she had recovered from the injuries, she lodged a complaint with the Bengaluru Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission against the pub, demanding that she should receive a compensation of more than Rs 20 lakh. She claimed that the accident occurred because of negligence on the part of the staff member working at the pub.
She presented her case with records including medical information and travel details for the course of the treatment. The lawyer representing the pub said that the woman ordered the drink on her own and their employee was not at fault for the burn injuries.
The consumer forum noted that a staff member took the woman to the hospital. They also noted that the manager of the pub was not an eye-witness in the case. Though the woman claimed a compensation of Rs 20 lakh, the consumer forum ruled that the pub should pay Rs 50,000 for causing the accident since the scars on her face had not remained and she had not produced photos showing the same, The New Indian Express reported.
On October 1, the forum ruled that Communiti should pay the woman Rs 74,000 which includes Rs 4,000 for medical expenses, Rs 10,000 transportation and incidental expenses, Rs 10,000 for court expenses as well as Rs 50,000 for causing the accident. The amount is to be paid within two months of the order.