Waiter dropped a pizza on me and caused a burn and ruined my dress (Joe browns) what is the least you would expect?

[snoopywife]

this happened yesterday. We just arrived in Pisa and went for lunch. The waiter brought the food over and as he was leaning over an entire, burning hot pizza slid off the plate and all down me. He apologised and started crying so went inside. I have a nasty burn on my tummy, plus it ruined my dress, bag and trainers. We were given a bill for the full amount, and we queried it with the manager. What would you expect in this situation?

Well, I'd bloody well hope it WAS an accident!

But he's a professional waiter and shouldn't have made this elementary and dangerous mistake. While I agree that I wouldn't have taken my anger (and injury) out on him, his employer needs to make recompense. Some people would sue in view of the injury.

I really detest the idea that accidents are OK and we should just laugh them off and reassure the person who was careless.

No, accidents are preventable and people need to take more care. If an accident happens, recompense needs to be made, especially if a business is the culprit rather than say, a friend.

This is something I wish I'd known in my 50 odd years!
OT but do you wash item first, or just straight out in the sun? Recently on holiday and the last item on breakfast plate was eyeing me up. Grilled tomato, lovely.
Spurted all over my white top when cut in to it 😂

Sorry OP - at least a complimentary meal and drinks.

Nothing. It was an accident. Accidents happen.

Christ. What a delightful person you are. Of course accidents are okay!

You shouldn’t have paid if they didnt offer,this happened to us years ago well to me - it’s not theft before anyone panics, you leave your name and address which negates the intent aspect of theft.

but yes an accident so you are gracious but just say I’m not paying.

Also - the waiter was crying???

This is a classic way to turn the situation around any make the careless person the victim. I've seen it many times.

No need for anyone to be nasty to him - I'm totally not advocating that. But he is NOT the victim, he needs to apologise and the management need to make amends.

Nobody is a victim here. It wasn’t an intentional act.

All those questioning burns from a pizza, hasn't anyone flapped melted cheese on their chin?

We had drinks upended by a waitress, no issue at all it was an accident but all I wanted was it mopping up and a new drink. She just kept coming back and apologising but not getting new drinks. I asked her to stop saying sorry as I did not care, I wasn’t cross it didn’t matter . I’m the end I had to google over to a more senior member of staff and ask for help.

No, they're not. Accidents vary between fatal ones and someone spilling coffee on your carpet.

Risk assessments etc used to be a big part of my job. Accidents are the result of carelessness about the safety of others. I don't think you've thought this subject through!

I've seen some horrible things, too. A safety video - ha ha - was being made near my office by a sailing group on the subject of flares at sea. Tragically a flare was set off 'accidentally' which went into one of the participants' bodies and caused life-changing injury. None of the group had even a first aid kit and if it hadn't been for my poor boss who was an expert first-aider, that person would have died.

But hey - it was an accident.

Yes, they are. They’re harmless incidents that sometimes occur.

Waiter spilt some lemonade over my son in a restaurant chain in the UK - the waiter was then sent out to Primark to get a suitable shirt for my son to wear. I think they took something off the bill as well. I definitely wouldn't expect to pay full for this - it must have ruined your evening! However, if I've got this right you are in Pisa so unless you speak fluent Italian you may just be seen as passing through/tourist. If you paid with a barclaycard or similar they may be able to help, assuming you have photos etc.

A pizza in Pisa? Hmm. 🤔

I’d be relieved as I don’t like Joe Browns clothes at all!

I think OP was a victim.

If you want to minimise personal injury and damage, please restrict it to yourself! Who is anyone on this thread to say 'Oh, it was just an accident - never mind your burn (which would have been from hot fat in the cheese - no trivial matter) or the wrecked dress, just make sure the waiter isn't too upset.

It's not for any of us to tell OP the injury/damage was just nothing.

Thank you for explaining 😊

I’d expect the meal for free but would feel bad for the poor waiter too. Accidents happen and hope he wasn’t fired

Your post makes no sense in view of what I've just written. Or in any context, really!

Frequently. It hurts a bit. Never caused what I’d call ‘a burn’ though - no lasting redness or blister. And I don’t usually have my chin covered with fabric…
As others have asked, @snoopywife do you mean you felt a burning sensation or that you were burnt in the sense of damage to the skin? Have you sought medical attention or used first aid?
Regardless, I’d have expected some discount at the very least and some conversation about damage to the dress and how to get that sorted.

What I always do is hand rinse stain in cold water, put in wash as normal then put out to
dry making sure the sun is directly hitting the stain. It’s miraculous!

I doubt they’d have intentionally cried to make themselves a victim.

More like it was their first shift and was nervous or had recently had bad news like a bereavement and this was the straw that broke the camels back.

OP said he did apologise.

I wonder if so many pps would be relaxed if say a waiter had spilled boiling coffee on their child? That also would have been an accident. Would it have been OK?

An accident is always someone's fault. It might be the waiter's, it might be the management for bad procedures and training, it might be a random person who shoves the waiter from behind. But accidents are culpable, to different degrees.

Acts of God - as insurance companies call them - are different.

Don't tell Basil, tell Sybil

I think OP mentions the brand of her dress so we can quantify her loss which is helpful

You have 100% made mistakes and had accidents multiple times in your life.

The waiter apologised and went inside crying - they obviously felt bad.

In this situation, there was no harm done but the waiter and management will hopefully learn from this to reduce it happening again.

Food and drinks are never served scolding hot for the very reason that accidents happen.