Restaurant liable for R750 000 damages after customer ingests needle in burger

A PATRON at an establishment in the Western Cape won a damages claim of R750 000 due to the pain, suffering and trauma she suffered after ingesting a needle that was lodged in a burger she ate at the restaurant.

- ZELDA VENTER

The matter came before the Western Cape High Court, where Maxine Williams accused the Stellenbosch-based Bayerskloof Wine Bar of being in breach of care when serving her a meal, and Judge Babalwa Mantame who presided over the matter, found in her favour.

The representatives of the restaurant denied any wrongdoing on the part of the plaintiff and maintained that the foreign object she ingested did not come from consumables sold and/or prepared by them.

Williams testified that on the evening of October 3, 2020, she and her husband visited their favourite restaurant in the area, and each ordered a hamburger and sides. Halfway through her meal, she experienced a sensation of discomfort, as though something was lodged in her throat. She immediately tried to get it down but struggled profusely. She went to the restroom as she started to cough and was in a state of panic.