When individuals want to catch up with their friends or don’t feel like cooking after a long day of work, they eat out at a restaurant. When they decide to eat out at a restaurant, they never expect this decision to result in a trip to the emergency room. However, this is an unfortunately common occurrence as you may contract serious foodborne illnesses such as food poisoning if a restaurant does not properly store or cook the food they serve to their customers. Foodborne diseases can be extremely serious and life-threatening. That being said, many wonder whether they can sue a restaurant for food poisoning. Keep reading to learn whether or not you can take legal action against a restaurant for contracting food poisoning after eating food from their eatery. In addition, please contact a competent Middlesex County Personal Injury Attorney who can help you seek reasonable compensation for your damages.
What is food poisoning?
Food poisoning is a type of foodborne illness that you can contract if you consume contaminated food. The main bacteria and viruses in food that cause food poisoning include E. coli, salmonella, listeria, and norovirus. Consuming contaminated food can cause serious health complications such as kidney damage, brain and nerve damage, meningitis, and other serious health problems that could result in permanent damage. Food poisoning cases are often relatively minor and people recover after a few days. Symptoms typically include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. However, in more severe cases, individuals may require hospitalization and specific treatments. This can result in hefty medical bills and lost wages as you may have missed a significant amount of work to recover. Nevertheless, the most common ways of contracting a foodborne illness include:
- You were served food improperly stored food.
- You were served food that was not cooked thoroughly.
- Unclean utensils were used to prepare the food.
- Food is kept at an unsafe temperature.
- Cooks use unclean hands to prepare food.
Am I eligible for compensation in New Jersey?
According to the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), more than 5,000 people are killed by foodborne diseases every year and nearly 300,000 are hospitalized. With such tragic statistics, many people do not realize that they may be entitled to significant compensation for restaurant negligence. If you have been diagnosed with food poisoning, you may pursue legal action against a restaurant to seek restitution for your damages. However, to collect compensation you need to prove that the food served at the restaurant made you ill and that your foodborne illness has caused quantifiable harm. To do so, as soon as you show signs of food poisoning, you must visit your doctor. A medical professional will be able to document your symptoms and take a stool sample to test for the specific pathogen that made you sick. This can help you link the restaurant to the exact source of your illness.
If you have been diagnosed with food poisoning and are unsure of how to proceed, it is in your best interest to contact one of our skilled team members. You can trust our firm to help you secure the compensation you deserve. Allow our firm to represent your interests today.
