Hospitalized by Hot Sauce

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (CN) - A mom and dad say their son was hospitalized after a Steak N Shake employee served him Mega Death Hot Sauce with his chili. The boy had hives and difficulty breathing after eating the sauce, which claims to be "500 times hotter than a jalapeño," according to the complaint in Bradley County Court.

Tim and Mary Gann say the John Doe server did not warn them or their son about the hot sauce.

Blair's Sauces & Snacks warns on its website: "This product contains the hottest known ingredients on the planet earth." The website recommends using the sauce sparingly and diluting it.

The Ganns say the Steak N Shake employee gave the bottled substance to their son, Timothy, without a word of warning.

"Soon after ingesting the chili mixed with the substance provided by defendant John Doe, Timothy Caleb Gann began to suffer a severe physical reaction, including the flaring-up of hives on his skin, difficulty breathing and severe pain and inflammation of his digestive system including his mouth and throat," the complaint states.

The Ganns say they did not know their son had been given Mega Death Hot Sauce until they took him to SkyRidge Medical Center for treatment. His father called the manager at Steak N Shake to report his son's injuries and found out.

The Ganns seek punitive damages for breach of duty, negligent hiring and reckless behavior.

They are represented by Jimmy Bilbo of Cleveland, Tenn.

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