Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog
Earlier last year, the family of an elderly couple who died as a result of eating tainted meatloaf sued the restaurant where the couple ordered their final meal. According to a report by one local news source, the couple ordered the takeout meatloaf dinner from a West Virginia Bob Evan’s restaurant.
Evidently, back in October 2012 the couple ordered a take out meatloaf and hours later became “violently ill.” The emergency room staff confirmed that the couple “suffered from food poising from consuming the tainted meal from Bob Evans.”
Both husband and wife were moved to a rehabilitation facility after the husband suffered a stroke just two days after falling ill. After another two months, the woman died while in the rehabilitation facility. Her husband died a few months later. The lawsuit filed by their children allege that their declining condition, ultimately resulting in their early death, was caused by the tainted meatloaf they consumed at the Bob Evan’s restaurant.
In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Bob Evan’s Restaurants stated that “Bob Evans is committed to serving the safest, highest-quality foods for our guests, “ and that “there is no basis to the allegations contained in the complaint and the suit is entirely without merit.” The couple’s children are seeking $250,000 in past medical expenses as well as an undetermined amount for the pain and suffering of their parents. A federal judge will hear the suit later this year.
Tainted Food and Legal Responsibility
Restaurants are under a general duty to ensure that the food they provide their customers is safe to consume. When a customer at a restaurant suffers some kind of illness or other serious injury as a result of consuming tainted food from a restaurant, that restaurant may be held liable for the damages caused.
One of the trickiest parts of this kind of lawsuit is establishing the causal link between the consumption of the tainted food and the ultimate harm suffered by the plaintiff. Taking the above case as an example, the plaintiffs will have to prove that their parents’ deaths—that occurred admittedly months after the consumption of the tainted food—were caused by eating at Bob Evans and not some other external factor.
Once a plaintiff is able to establish causation, his or her path to financial recovery is made much easier.
Have You Been Injured by a Restaurant’s Tainted Food?
If you or a loved one has recently suffered a serious case of food poisoning or other serious medical issue after consuming tainted food, you may be entitled to monetary damages to help compensate you for your medical bills as well as for your pain and suffering. However, as you can see, restaurants are unlikely to admit wrongdoing and often need to be taken to task by an experienced Washington DC personal injury attorney. To learn more about what you can to do hold a negligent or unsafe restaurant responsible, call 410-654-3600 today to set up a free consultation.
More Blog Posts:
Peanut Plant Responsible for Multiple Deaths Due to Salmonella Contamination, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, October 9, 2014
New Report Finds over 60 Virginia Children Have Died in Daycare Facilities Since 2004, Lack of Oversight Blamed, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, September 4, 2014
Misplaced Construction Sign Results in $100,000 Settlement with St. Louis County, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, August 21, 2014