Woman claims glass jug smashed after hot water poured into it for tea
A WOMAN has sued after claiming a glass jug she bought in Dunnes Stores exploded and shattered after she poured hot water from a kettle into it.
Eva Cekanova, who is from Slovakia, told the court in her home country tea is made in a big glass jug.
She said she boiled a kettle in her Dublin apartment and let it sit for a few minutes before pouring the hot water, which was at a temperature of between 80 to 90 degrees, on top of a watermelon teabag in the tall jug.
“I was just making tea like I did a million times before and it never happened,” she said. “The water was not boiling.” The tall jug shattered into pieces and she fell back so that the liquid hit her thigh, knee and legs and she suffered burns which left her with scarring, she said.
Dunnes Stores has contended the glass jug was intended for cold drinks like juice or cordial and not for hot liquid.
Ms Cekanova (30), of Windmill Terrace, Clonsilla,
Dublin, has sued Dunnes Stores over the accident with the jug, which she bought at the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, Dublin, on December 5, 2015.
Dunnes denies all claims and that the incident occurred as alleged.
It contends Ms Cekanova failed to heed a warning sticker on the jug, on which Dunnes says specifically not to use hot water.
Cross-examined by Dunnes counsel Marcus Daly SC, Ms Cekanova said she had “never before in my life” heard of putting something metal like a spoon in to glass when pouring hot liquid in to it.
Counsel put it to her the accident was her own fault.
She asked why there was a warning label on some jugs and not others.
“If I was warned I would not have put hot water and there was no sticker on the jug,” she said.
Her husband Marcin said after the jug shattered, his wife was screaming and he took her to the bathroom where he put cold water on her legs. She later got medical treatment.
Mr Justice Kevin Cross will give his judgment today.