Bartender Sues Molson Coors, Claiming Miller Lite Cap ‘Exploded’ Off Bottle and Caused Severe Injuries

(AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)

A Pittsburgh bartender has filed a lawsuit against Molson Coors and a regional distributor after she says a bottle of Miller Lite exploded and caused severe eye injuries, according to Legal Newsline.

Jacqueline Mackowski filed the complaint in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas following a July 2024 incident at Tequila Cowboy Bar & Grille. According to the lawsuit, Mackowski was opening a Miller Lite for a customer when the bottle cap “exploded” off, striking her in the left eye.

The suit alleges the incident caused significant injuries, including a ruptured globe, corneal laceration, hemorrhage, light sensitivity, headaches and partial loss of vision. Mackowski is seeking damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.

The complaint claims Molson Coors was aware that excessive carbonation during the bottling process could create dangerous internal pressure, making the product “unreasonably dangerous” for consumers and workers. The suit also names Brentwood Distributing, alleging the company sold and delivered a defective product and failed to warn of potential risks.

The case echoes prior litigation involving exploding beer bottles and Molson Coors products. In a 2015 federal case involving an alleged exploding Coors Light bottle, a judge dismissed the claims after excluding the plaintiff’s expert witness. The court found the expert failed to provide reliable data to support the theory that thinner glass bottles were more prone to fracture.

That earlier ruling underscores a key hurdle in product liability cases involving beverage containers: establishing a scientifically supported link between alleged defects and injuries.

Mackowski is represented by Douglas Olcott of Edgar Snyder & Associates.