JYE Parker - the Newcastle man who lost his left arm when a beer keg exploded at the Bar Beach Bowling Club in 2014 - is suing the club in the NSW Supreme Court and seeking $2.7 million in damages to cover the costs of future surgeries, prosthesis and occupational therapy.
Mr Parker, who was lucky to survive the explosion in the cool room of the Kilgour Avenue Club on October 10, 2014, launched legal action against Carlton & United Breweries, who supplied the beer keg, and the bowling club in July, 2017, claiming they were negligent and had breached their duty of care.
Mr Parker, who claimed the beer keg exploded as a result of being "over-pressurised", settled out of court with the beer company last year and received $100,000 in costs. The judgement found that the company was not negligent.
A civil lawsuit against the bowling club has not resolved and a seven-day hearing in the NSW Supreme Court was expected to begin on Monday before Justice Stephen Campbell.
Instead, the hearing was adjourned until September due to recent changes in Mr Parker's claim, including the requirement for a number of additional procedures and surgeries, which have substantially increased the monetary damages sought.
Justice Campbell said there was no real dispute about what caused Mr Parker's serious injuries.
It was the night of October 10, 2014, and a staff member at the Bar Beach Bowling Club was trying unsuccessfully to set up a beer keg.
Mr Parker, who lived next door in the greenkeeper's house at the time and was working as a bartender at The Delaney Hotel, was at the club on the night and was asked to help out, according to Mr Parker's statement of claim. "[Mr Parker] inspected the keg and formed the opinion that one of the hoses connected to the [gas] bottle may have been blocked," the statement of claim reads.
"[Mr Parker] used a shifting spanner to remove a fitting from the gas bottle, disconnected the hose and installed a second hose.
"[Mr Parker] then reconnected the hose to the gas bottle and tested the system."
A short time later the beer keg exploded, seriously injuring Mr Parker, who woke from an induced coma the next day to see his left arm had been amputated.
Justice Campbell said what will be in dispute during the hearing was the legal responsibility of the club for Mr Parker's injuries as well as the exact requirements and costs for several planned medical procedures.
The seven-day hearing is now scheduled to commence on September 21.
But the parties did not rule out further mediation resolving the matter before that date.
