Cracker Barrel ordered to pay $9.4 million after patron drinks cleaning liquid

Cracker Barrel was ordered by a jury to pay $9.4 million over a lawsuit involving a Tennessee patron who drank what he believed to be a glass of water, but which turned out to be a cleaning fluid called Eco-San. The jury awarded $4.3 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, according to a statement from the man's attorney. 

Cracker Barrel didn't immediately return a request for comment. The award may be reduced, however, due to a $750,00 cap on damages under Tennessee law. 

The incident occurred in 2014 when William Cronnon stopped at a Cracker Barrel for lunch in Marion County, Tennessee, and the waitress refilled his glass with what he believed to be water. Instead, it was a mixture of water and Eco-San, which is a commercial grade bleach, attorney Thomas Greer wrote in the statement.