Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Sued a Second Time over Hot BBQ Sauce

People have gotten burned by various foods that were hot enough to burn through clothing and skin. The most famous hot product lawsuits are hot coffee, but even foods like chicken nuggets have caused serious burn injuries. In 2025, barbeque sauce joined the list of foods that can lead to burn injury lawsuits.

Angelica Ochoa filed a lawsuit against Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Enterprises for serving her barbeque sauce that gave her second-degree burns. Ochoa visited the Bill Miller restaurant in San Antonio in October 2023. The sauce was allegedly so hot that it disturbed the seal of the plastic lid on the cup and then melted a portion of her jeans when it spilled. Ochoa is seeking $1 million for injuries and damages, including emotional and physical pain, disfigurement, physical impairment, and medical expenses.

Bill Miller Bar-B-Q began adding warning labels to menus and takeout bags after Genesis Monita, a then 18 year old San Antonio woman, won a $2.8 million lawsuit against the restaurant for injuries caused by the barbecue sauce. Monita had ordered four breakfast burritos with barbeque sauce. However, she dropped the container of sauce because it was so hot, causing her severe burns on her right thigh.

Monita’s lawyers in the prior case claimed that the barbeque sauce was almost 25 degrees hotter than the required temperature and that another customer in 2021 had already been burned by the sauce.

Subsequent Lawsuits are Only Bad for Business If It Costs Them Too Much Money

It should go without saying that multiple lawsuits involving the same problems with a product is bad for business. First, lawsuits are generally public record. It is impossible to hide them from other plaintiffs and their lawyers, and are generally admissible at trial. Second, they form a clear pattern that indicates the problem may be with the product. The initial reaction to the McDonald’s hot coffee case is that the woman suing the company should have been more careful. However, if the same lawsuit keeps arising in different locations with different people, that indicates the problem may be with the company rather than with the people getting hurt. Thus, each subsequent lawsuit makes it more likely that the defendant may lose each case.

Despite the consequences though, many companies will keep the same practices that initiated the lawsuits against them. There may be many reasons why companies don’t change despite getting sued and losing. The most insidious reason is that a company may make more money from continuing to put out bad products than from expensive lawsuits. This maybe true in states that place caps on lawsuits such that a company can factor in a loss in court as the cost of doing business.

Even if a company isn’t punished for putting out bad products though, plaintiffs should still pursue their claims in court. A lawsuit is intended to compensate a plaintiff for their losses. A plaintiff injured by hot coffee, barbeque sauce, or other products can still recover the costs of their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Repeat lawsuits will only make it easier for injured customers to recover.

Do I Need the Help of a Personal Injury Attorney?

If you have sustained a personal injury through the unlawful act of another, you should contact a personal injury attorney. A skilled personal injury lawyer can review the facts of your case, go over your rights and options, and represent you in court.