Court tells man he can't sue Applebee's after he burned himself praying over a hot plate

A New Jersey appellate court ruled on Wednesday that a man who was burned by a hot skillet while praying at an Applebee's cannot seek damages from the chain for his injuries.

Hiram Jimenez said that in March 2010, his waitress at the Westampton, New Jersey, Applebee's did not warn him that his steak fajita skillet was extremely hot, and when he bent over it in prayer, he heard sizzling noises and felt grease splatter in his left eye and on his face, NBC Los Angeles reports. Jimenez said he panicked, causing the food to fall into his lap and resulting in more burns. He does not have any scarring from the incident.

The appellate court upheld an earlier lower court ruling that dismissed the suit on the grounds that hot food posed an "open and obvious danger."

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