HOUSTON — A restaurant cook who suffered second degree burns after tripping on a bag on the floor while carrying a hot pot of water is claiming negligence.
Vivian Akuchie filed a complaint July 10 in Harris County District Court against Bolanle Toyin Strange Adeyemi doing business as Grains & Solid LLC also known as Amala On Point alleging negligence.
Akuchie was working as a temporary cook on July 29, 2019, at its restaurant on Beechnut Street in Houston. She alleges that she and a staffer were lifting a hot pot of water from the stove when "defendant Bola or her agent," dropped a bag of raw beef behind her. Akuchie claims she stumbled onto the bag of beef while lifting the hot pot which caused the water to spill on her arm and other parts of her body.
She alleges as a result of the hot water spilling on her, she suffered second degree burns on parts of her body including her buttocks and legs and also suffered back pains and scarring. Akuchie claims the defendants' negligence for failing to have enough working space to accommodate the cooking activities of the staff or having a storage area a safe enough distance from the cooking area. She further claims the defendants failed to have an emergency procedures plan or adequate training particularly for how to safely move hot liquid materials.
Akuchie seeks monetary relief between $200,000 and $1 million, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. She is represented by Cyril Westcott-Omwirhiren of The Westcot Law Group PLLC in Houston.
Harris County District Court case number 2021-41534