Pepsi Max Bottler Ordered to Pay $680,000 for Blindness Caused by Exploding Bottle

The Central District Court in Tel Aviv recently ruled in favor of a young man who lost sight in his left eye after a Pepsi Max bottle exploded while he was working at a restaurant. Judge Idit Katsav ordered Tempo, the beverage company, to pay approximately 2.5 million shekels in compensation to the plaintiff and the National Insurance Institute, along with hundreds of thousands of shekels for legal expenses.

The court determined that Tempo bears responsibility for the man's injury due to defects in its products. The incident occurred in October 2017 when the then 27-year-old employee was stocking refrigerators at a Tel Aviv restaurant. A Pepsi Max bottle exploded, and flying glass shards struck his left eye.

He was immediately taken to Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery and subsequent continuous treatment. Despite these efforts, he permanently lost vision in the eye and suffered psychological damage. The total compensation awarded is 2,499,786 shekels, with the young man receiving 1,642,249 shekels. The remainder will be paid to the National Insurance Institute. Tempo will also pay 589,949 shekels in attorney fees and other court costs, bringing the total payout to 3,114,735 shekels.