Apparently, this isn’t the best of times for waiters in Nashville.

Two Nashville restaurants were sued this week, both accused of negligence and other wrongs for employee-caused mishaps, instances involving serving trays landing on the heads of patrons, including a 7-year-old child whose nose allegedly was sufficiently damaged to “possibly require surgery.”

It was the child's birthday, no less.

Emily Harris was celebrating the special event on June 17, 2011, at the Outback Steakhouse located at 1560 Gallatin Road when the unexpected occurred.

“While completing their meal, a server, employed by Defendant, carried a large serving tray at waist level. The server negligently struck Emily Harris in the face with the serving tray…knocking her to the ground,” states the complaint, filed in Davidson County Circuit Court by Emily’s parents, Sandra and William Harris.

The complaint, filed June 5, details the events leading to the mishap wherein Emily suffered nose damage allegedly resulting in multiple sinus infections.

The Harrises want the court to order Outback to pay $100,000 for the incident plus reimbursement of all medical expenses including court costs and attorney’s fees.

Nashville–based attorney John Thomas Feeney of the Feeney & Murray P.C. law firm is representing the Harrises.

Feeney could not be reached for comment late Monday.

In a separate but ironically similar case — both mishaps occurring in June 2011 — Hopkins County, Kentucky, native Marta Roehrich was dining at the Demos restaurant in downtown Nashville when a waiter there “failed to maintain control of the tray he was handling and dropped the tray of food and drink on the Plaintiff’s head,” states the complaint also filed June 5 in Circuit Court here.  

Roehrich is seeking reimbursement for past medical expenses plus an unstated sum for future medical expenses and punitive damages for “pain, suffering and present loss of enjoyment of life.”

The injuries to Roehrich aren’t detailed other than reference made to the server’s tray hitting her in the head. The compliant classifies her injuries as “physical pain and mental suffering.”

Keith Williams with the Lannom & Williams PLLC law firm in Lebanon is representing Roerich.

Williams could not be reached for comment late Monday.