A chef´s claim for restaurant kitchen injury has been resolved at the Circuit Civil Court with an award of €15,000 compensation to the injured plaintiff.
Shijun Liu was ordinarily a chef at the Howards Way Restaurant in Rathgar; but, in March 2013, he was working at the restaurant´s sister establishment in Churchtown, Dublin, when he went to the assistance of a cleaner who was trying to untangle the domestic powerhose used to clean the kitchen.
As Shijun and the cleaner attempted to untangle the kinks in the hose, the hose suddenly sprayed scalding water at Shijun – severely burning his ankle. Shijun – who was unfamiliar with the cleaning procedures at the Churchtown restaurant – was taken to the VHI Clinic in Dundrum, where he was treated for burns.
Due to the severity of his injuries, Shijun was unable to return to his kitchen duties for two weeks. He made a claim for a restaurant kitchen injury against his employer – Declan Howard trading as Howards Way Restaurant – but consent was denied for the Injuries Board to conduct an assessment of Shijun´s claim.
With an authorisation from the Injuries Board to pursue his claim for a restaurant kitchen injury, Shijun sought legal advice. Shijun was advised to take his case to the Circuit Civil Court, where it was heard earlier this week by Mr Justice Raymond Groarke.
At the hearing, Judge Groarke was told that the domestic powerhose used to clean the restaurant kitchen was unfit for purpose because the heat of the water being used would have softened it. The judge found in favour of Shijun and awarded him €15,000 in settlement of his claim for a restaurant kitchen injury – commenting that he had found Shijun´s version of events very compelling.