Woman sues after beverage binge

November 15 2006 at 02:59PM

A Russian woman who drank up to 5 000 litres of Coca Cola has successfully sued the company for making her ill.

Natalya Kashuba, 27, the owner of an upmarket clothes shop, drank up to three litres of the soft drink every day for five years.

She took legal action against the soft drinks giant after claiming that she had suffered insomnia and heartburn, reports the Telegraph.

Miss Kashuba said she had become addicted to the drink as a result of a promotional offer that allowed consumers to swap Coca Cola caps for prizes.

Dozens of inflatable mattresses and radios she won were used as key evidence in the case.

"In October 2005, as a result of an examination by a gastroenterologist, she was diagnosed with a chronic condition whose main symptom is heart burn," her lawyer, Alexey Monakhov, said.

In a landmark ruling, two Russian courts agreed that Coca Cola had failed to warn of the potential health risks of drinking too much Coke and awarded Miss Kashuba £62.

Though the sum in itself is derisory, Miss Kashuba's victory is unprecedented and could, lawyers predict, prompt an avalanche of similar suits.

Miss Kashuba herself is seeking a further £59,000 from Coca Cola in "moral damages". - Ananova.com