Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Hotel & Casino in Stateline, Nevada receives thousands of tourists from California.. Each year…. seeking fun … entertainment…and a shot at winning big money! They love putting money at risk. It can be sports betting, table games, lotteries. They love to bet. They feel alive…and get an adrenaline rush when they play the games.
And On December 2, 2007 Julia Ellis was a patron at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Hotel and Casino. While on the premises, Julia ordered a bottle of water and was given a bottle marked “Harrah’s Purified Drinking Water.” Julia opened the sealed bottle and drank. But instead of plain ole drinking water in this bottle, it contained Super Trump, a highly caustic cleaning substance.
The substance is odorless and colorless and because Julia drank a large swallow of the substance….it resulted in second and third degree burns to her esophagus and nearly killing her!
Super Trump…with an extreme high “PH” level akin to Drano And …contains “Sodium Hydroxide”. The Bottle was sent to hazmat testing facility, and their report showed that it was extremely dangerous, and corrosive to one’s eyes, skin, and respiratory track.
Someone had poured this Super Trump…. maliciously and intentionally…in a Harrah’s Water bottle….and that person was never identified! And As a result of ingesting the caustic substance, Julia sustained
• second and third degree burns to her esophagus as well as liquefaction of the mucosa.
• The injury left her with a severe stricture of the esophagus which required dozens of physician-administered dilation procedures, as well as several dozen self-administered dilations.
• Following two years of dilations, Julia’s esophagus remains approximately 60% – 70% of what would be considered a normal diameter for one’s esophagus.
As a result of having a compromised esophagus, Julia has had and continues to have episodes where food catches in her throat. Her diet is limited largely to soft or otherwise pureed foods. Following the incident, Julia was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and continues to suffer.
Today the INSIDER EXCLUSIVE “Goes Behind The Headlines” in CASINO FOOD SAFETY – Julia Ellis Nightmare Story ….. to reveal for the first time…. how the Julia’s attorney….Chris Dolan @ the Dolan Law Firm, successfully got justice for Julia…
In fact….On the first day of jury selection, the Defendants admitted liability.
“A Harvey’s employee had apparently poured the solution from its large storage container into an empty, unmarked Harrah’s water bottle and left it in the kitchen, where it was soon thereafter served to Ellis”
The trial was held solely to determine the amount of damages to be awarded. The jury deliberated for ONLY two and a half hours before reaching their verdict awarding Ellis damages. The jury awarded Ellis $3.25 million for past and future non-economic damages and $169,308 for past medical expenses and lost income, according to court records.
The Lesson Casinos and Hotels learned from this horrible episode is that companies need to maintain adequate food safety or they would be held responsible for injuries that they caused. This case definitely caused Harvey’s to implement a beverage management safety and control program and it established that should Harvey’s harm a patron who was lured to Nevada from San Francisco through advertising they would be held responsible in San Francisco.
Chris Dolan has earned the highest respect from citizens and lawyers alike…. as one of the best Trial lawyers in San Francisco…. In California….. and in the nation.
His fellow lawyers have selected him ….
1. Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys of California,
2. Trial Lawyer of the Year by San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association,
3. California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) award
4. And President of the Consumer Attorneys of California,
Chris is driven to fight for people who had been harmed by the willful or negligent actions of others. His goals….. Not ONLY To get Justice for his clients… But also to set a higher standard to protect us all.
You can contact Chris Dolan @ The Dolan Law Firm http://www.cbdlaw.com/ or 415 421 2800