Woman burned at Japanese restaurant table fire files lawsuit, seeks $50,000 plus
Three months after state officials ruled a fire at an Ocala Japanese restaurant that injured two people was not intentional, one of the victims has filed a lawsuit against the eatery.
Tyler Swift, a lawyer with Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys, said in the complaint that the plaintiff, Megan Peralta, is seeking damages exceeding $50,000, exclusive of interest, costs and attorney's fees.
State report
The suit is filed against Edo Japanese Restaurant, 4414 SW College Road, Unit 30. At issue is the May fire that burned Peralta. Goiquin You, a cook at the restaurant, also was burned, according to the state Bureau of Fire, Arson & Explosives Investigations report.
In an interview with a Star-Banner reporter in May, You, 33, said that, because of his injuries, he had not yet returned to work.
Peralta, 28, suffered second- and third-degree burns on her head, face, neck, legs and torso, according to the report. You sustained second- and third-degree burns to his face, neck and chest. The chef's uniform caught fire, but it was removed by a customer.
You and Peralta were taken to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville for treatment, the report notes.
The investigator said in the report that You was using isopropyl alcohol while cooking for patrons who were sitting at the countertop at the restaurant. You said he was using 90 percent rubbing alcohol and the bottle was too close to the fire. He said he "heard a loud boom." The report states that a video of the fire was consistent with You's account of what happened.
About the lawsuit
Edo Ocala "owed Plaintiff a non-delegable duty to exercise reasonable care for her safety to maintain its premises, including the cook table/hibachi grill/teppan griddle in a responsibly clean and safe condition for its invitees and members of the general public utilizing said premises, and to warn its invitees and members of the general public of any known hazards or hazardous conditions, including fire hazards and/or burn hazards, about which Defendant, EDO OCALA, knew or reasonably should have known through the exercise of reasonable care," the suit says.
The suit says Peralta was "sitting and dining at a cook table/hibachi grill/teppan griddle on Defendant's premises" when the "table exploded or otherwise caught fire due to the chef's use of alcohol and/or oil on or near said table, causing severe burns and bodily injuries."
Fire investigation: State investigators ruled two people injured in fire at Japanese restaurant was accidental
The lawsuit mentions that Peralta's "losses are either permanent or continuing, and Plaintiff will suffer the losses in the future." The suit says Peralta suffered severe bodily injury that has led to a number of scars, as well as expenses and a loss of earnings.
An employee at the restaurant told a Star-Banner reporter that they don't have any comment on the lawsuit. Asked if the cook had returned to work, the employee said she did not know.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Lawsuit filed by woman against Japanese restaurant in Ocala
