Food Poisoning on Takeout Orders

If you have suffered significant damages after eating takeout, you could be in a position to make a food poisoning claim. Contact our Vancouver personal injury lawyers to find out more.

Food poisoning from takeout

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, more and more of us are opting to get takeout. But with this rise in popularity comes another alarming trend: an increase in the number of people getting food poisoning from takeout orders. This might make your stomach turn just thinking about it, but there’s no denying that our lawyers are getting more enquiries on this subject.

Issues typically arise when the food isn’t heated all the way through. This is exactly what happened in the early 90s in Washington State, when fast-food chain Jack in the Box deliberately failed to cook their hamburger patties to a safe internal temperature. As a result, 700 people fell ill with E. Coli and four children died.

Food poisoning might also occur due to poor employee hygiene, contaminated ingredients and unsafe working practices. Where takeout is concerned, it could be that food is left lying around in warm temperatures, creating a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive. It could also be that vegetables are chopped on the same board as meat, leading to cross-contamination.

What can you do?

If you develop food poisoning after eating takeout, is there anything you can do about it? Our lawyers will tell you that it all depends on the extent of your damages and the evidence available. This is because to make a personal injury claim, you have to prove that the restaurant was responsible for your illness. Then, you have to establish that you suffered harm as a result.

Our advice is to keep any evidence that could link your food poisoning to the takeout you consumed. Ideally, you’ll see a doctor and have a sample sent for testing. This will confirm exactly what bacteria or virus you have. Also, keep a diary of your symptoms and record any money you have lost because of your illness.

Then, contact us for expert legal advice. We’ll explain whether you’re entitled to compensation. Chances are that if you quickly recovered from your symptoms – and you haven’t missed work or experienced any long-term side effects – then your claim will be of little value. But if you have been severely impacted, we’ll help you to recover your damages.

Food poisoning claims

Food poisoning is highly unpleasant, but you might not think of it as being fatal. In fact, it can be catastrophic. Certain members of the public are particularly at-risk, including children, the elderly, pregnant women and the immuno-compromised. Should any of these people fall ill with food poisoning, it can lead to hospitalization and even death.

If you have developed food poisoning after eating takeout, speak to our Vancouver personal injury lawyers. If you’ve fallen ill, it’s possible that others have too. We’ll investigate further, uncovering whether yours was an isolated incident or part of a wider problem. If the latter is true, it will help to prove your claim.

If you do have grounds for a food poisoning claim, we’ll handle everything on your behalf, working to get the compensation you deserve. Either fill in the free online enquiry form or call us on 604 684 0040.

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