Dallas couple sues bar after fiery drink explodes, leaving them with scarring 3rd-degree burns
A Dallas couple is taking the owners of a former bar in town to court after receiving first, second, and third-degree burns following a visit to the establishment that they claim turned to terror when they ordered a fiery cocktail that exploded.
The bar in question, the 'Twisted Trick' along Cedar Springs, has since closed its doors following the incident. Attorneys for the owners have already responded to the couple's claims in court and denied the allegations, underscoring that the couple has failed to provide facts to support them.
But Abbi Hance-Briscoe and Dustin 'Dutty' Johnson told WFAA that the scars on their arms, chest, neck, and faces didn't fall from the sky.
"That night gets replayed more than it should," Johnson told WFAA. "It was horrific, traumatizing, and life-changing."
"One little choice of a restaurant-made all that life-changing difference," Hance-Briscoe said.
According to the lawsuit, on Aug. 26, the couple decided to swing into the Twisted Trick for a drink. They both told WFAA that they hadn't seen each other in a few days after Johnson traveled to a wedding out of town. They chose the spot, Johnson said because the bar was newer.
"It wasn't even supposed to be a planned date night. It was just a, hey, I've missed you, and let's go get a drink and a meal together," Johnson said. "This bar didn't seem to be getting a lot of traction, so we wanted to support them and give them a chance."
Sadly, the couple said they never got around to getting a meal.
Johnson ordered a drink called the 'Flaming Pineapple,' a spicy Everclear cocktail, and was unaware that it came with a garnished lime that was on fire.
"We've been to Tiki bars before, and so when it came out, I understood what was going to happen. They would do a little show, like a flash of fire, and then I'd drink it. I was like, oh, cute. Cool. It's on fire," Johnson said.
However, according to the lawsuit, the "bartender added more Everclear to the drink and like the drink itself with a torch." Hance-Briscoe said the bartender gave an extra pour because they were all having good conversation.
"He was excited for us. Some job things we had going on and the fact Johnson was back in town," Hance-Briscoe said. "He goes, 'I'll give it a little more,' and poured some more, then lit the bar torch and the Everclear on fire in our direction."
Per the lawsuit, the "...drink ignited, shattering the drink glass, and spreading the fire onto Abigael and Dustin." Moments of panic, pain, and terror felt like hours, the couple said, as they tried to get the flames out.
Johnson said he spatially understood what was happening and backed away quickly, yet still rushed out of the bar with his shirt, face, arms, beard, and chest hair on fire.
"You can see the exact line of where my sleeves are on my burns. I ripped my shirt off, smothered my face with it, and then wiped my chest and everything else. I then went inside to see Abbi rolling on the ground," Johnson said.
Hance-Briscoe said she dropped to the floor in pain and started to roll around to get the flames out. Eventually, someone from the kitchen doused her with water, she said.
The two were then rushed to Parkland Hospital's burn unit.
"I realized I was in a lot of pain," Hance-Briscoe said. "I was burned up to my cheeks. My ear was burned on my left side. They had to shave one side of my head in the hospital because there was concern about injury to my scalp," Hance-Briscoe said.
"It was the craziest thing to picture you and the person you love more than anything in the world being loaded into a stretcher at the same time," Hance-Briscoe said.
Johnson was hospitalized for several days, and his long beard saved much of the skin on his upper body and face. Hance-Briscoe had the worst burns, was in the ICU for a week, remained hospitalized for six more, and has had three skin grafts.
She also has reconstructive surgery planned for next February, as some of the grafting work isn't healing correctly. What's worse-she got sepsis while in the hospital and can't put weight on her right leg. She uses a walker to get around; both have undergone extensive physical therapy.
Hance-Briscoe also does speech therapy because she can't feel parts of her face.
"My skin was falling off of my arm, and they had to cut my bra off because it was melted into my skin," Hance-Briscoe said.
The pair hopes their story leads to better regulations or practices around bars in the metroplex and that the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission adopts them, as none are currently on the books.
"Just some rules-some structure. Something to prevent this from happening to someone else," Hance-Briscoe said.
The pair walk through this challenging chapter together-through pain together.
"I remember saying going into the ambulance not to separate me from Dustin-he's all I have," she said.
