Funnel Cake Disaster...

[Okla-homey]

This just in. It's really pretty horrible, but...dang!:


HANOVER, VA (WWBT) - A day families all over Central Virginia look forward to took a tragic turn as a festival worker knocked over a vat of scorching hot funnel cake oil, severely burning four people at the Hanover Tomato Festival Saturday.

"We always prepare for the worst and hope it never happens," said Hanover Fire Chief Willie Jones. "But today it happened."

Jones said an employee at a funnel cake booth tripped and knocked over a vat of scorching hot oil used to fry the doughy festival treat.

The oil heats to between 350 and 450 degrees.

"There was like 35 gallons of it," he said. "It was almost like a wave hit some of the employees. It was a pretty horrific accident."

Four workers suffered severe burns. Two with second degree burns on 30 to 50 percent of their bodies. So critical, the victims were airlifted to the VCU Medical Center burn unit.

[TUSooner]

Don't tell me: "Emergency lawyers were on the scene in minutes." :(

[Crucifax Autumn]

That's horrible.

But there's another part of me that finds the phrase "funnel cake disaster" really funny.

[Okla-homey]

Don't tell me: "Emergency lawyers were on the scene in minutes." :(

Prolly not. The vat tipper is likely a judgment-proof kid or a beaner.:O

[royalfan5]

I suppose it was a good thing that vat was tipped in the stand rather than out into the line of customers. Being that funnel cakes are awesome there probably was a pretty big line. This event also shows that my plan to offer funnel cakes in a hypothetical bar I might own someday might have some flaws.

[JohnnyMack]

Rus, you're needed in Virginia! Stat!

[Frozen Sooner]

Prolly not. The vat tipper is likely a judgment-proof kid or a beaner.:O

Jeez, did you sleep in on the day they taught defendant selection?

Vat tipper was an agent of the company that owned the funnel cake business. Furthermore, festival organizers failed to meet a reasonable standard of care in prevention of injury to licensees on the premises.

Beyond that, they were using a really thin paper cup to hold the boiling oil that deformed easily under pressure. ;)

[John Kochtoston]

Jeez, did you sleep in on the day they taught defendant selection?

Vat tipper was an agent of the company that owned the funnel cake business. Furthermore, festival organizers failed to meet a reasonable standard of care in prevention of injury to licensees on the premises.

Beyond that, they were using a really thin paper cup to hold the boiling oil that deformed easily under pressure. ;)

Because nothing says "deep pockets" like a guy who owns a travelling carnival concession stand. :D

[Frozen Sooner]

Because nothing says "deep pockets" like a guy who owns a travelling carnival concession stand. :D

Traveling carney concession stands usually carry a GCL policy. Just sayin'.

[John Kochtoston]

Traveling carney concession stands usually carry a GCL policy. Just sayin'.

"Usually" or "are supposed to?"

[Frozen Sooner]

Well, considering the concession stand was set up as part of a municipally-sponsored festival, it is probably safe to assume that said municipality required vendors to supply a certificate of insurance. If they were REALLY crafty, they got a hold harmless agreement signed. If they got REALLY REALLY crafty they got named as an insured on the vendor's policy so that they get first-dollar defense if the injured party chooses to sue both.

Regardless of the insurance situation of the vendor, the festival sponsor almost either has an insurance policy or has sufficient capital to self-insure. And at the very least, the injured will own a funnel-cake fryer. Which would pretty much be worth it anyhow.

[KC//CRIMSON]

Rus, you're needed in Virginia! Stat!


Rus doesn't chase them down until their actually in the ambulance.

[John Kochtoston]

Not knowing about the inner workings of the Hannover Tomato Festival, I can't say how big of a deal this is. But, it would hardly be unprecedented to either 1) have the "festival" run by a bunch of nimrods that don't know the first thing about what groundwork goes into such a thing or 2) a vendor providing fake documents to said organizers, who then are dumb enough to take them at face value, instead of calling the insurance companies and double-checking. Due dilligence is often neither.

[Frozen Sooner]

Not knowing about the inner workings of the Hannover Tomato Festival, I can't say how big of a deal this is. But, it would hardly be unprecedented to either 1) have the "festival" run by a bunch of nimrods that don't know the first thing about what groundwork goes into such a thing or 2) a vendor providing fake documents to said organizers, who then are dumb enough to take them at face value, instead of calling the insurance companies and double-checking. Due dilligence is often neither.

Simple. Sue the municipality. Let the insurance companies fight it out. Again, worst-case scenario is you own a Funnel Cake making operation, which is a win by any standard.

[John Kochtoston]

Simple. Sue the municipality. Let the insurance companies fight it out. Again, worst-case scenario is you own a Funnel Cake making operation, which is a win by any standard.

If it's one of those deals that also sells fried Snickers bars, then that might be an acceptible substitute for half of your skin. :D

[olevetonahill]

Prolly not. The vat tipper is likely a judgment-proof kid or a beaner.:O

You said "Beaner"
jauns gonna be all over you fer that :rolleyes: :pop:

[Okla-homey]

Traveling carney concession stands usually carry a GCL policy. Just sayin'.

It's a CGL. If you're going to impersonate an attorney Mr. About-To-Be-A-1L, please remember to use the proper terminology. ;)

[SoonersEnFuego]

Stop, you're making me hungry.

[Frozen Sooner]

It's a CGL. If you're going to impersonate an attorney Mr. About-To-Be-A-1L, please remember to use the proper terminology. ;)

Thanks, but I'm a licensed commercial insurance salesman already. :D But yeah, you're right, I garbled the acronym.

[Fraggle145]

Funnel cakes are disgusting.

[NormanPride]

Is that like HDL and LDL? Because funnel cakes are bad for that.

[Pricetag]

Couldn't they sue the manufacturers of the fat vat for designing something that could be tipped?

[Okla-homey]

Couldn't they sue the manufacturers of the fat vat for designing something that could be tipped?

Yepper, but you would have to fight the legions of lawyers hired by the National Deep Fat Fryer Manufacturers Association and that could take years and cost thousands of lives.

but srsly, products defects cases are ridiculously expensive to litigate.

[John Kochtoston]

Yepper, but you would have to fight the legions of lawyers hired by the National Deep Fat Fryer Manufacturers Association and that could take years and cost thousands of lives.

but srsly, products defects cases are ridiculously expensive to litigate.

This is why Eric Stratton became a gynecologist.

And, the first bite of a funnel cake is like a deep-fried orgasm. I'd even go so far as to say it's better than the first slug of an ice-cold beer after a day of heavy labor in 100 degree temps. After about 3-4 bites, though, yeah, it's a little much.

[picasso]

hey John, did that water buffalo total your car?

[John Kochtoston]

Yes. Fortunately Mrs. Stanwyk let me borrow her towel.