We’ve all had it happen at one time or another – that telltale queasy feeling that may develop not long after eating. We wait to see if it’s just a passing thing or a slight case of indigestion only to find that more serious symptoms eventually develop. Some of these symptoms may even be as severe as ongoing vomiting, diarrhea, or relentless flu-like symptoms. It’s food poisoning, one of your worst dining nightmares come true!
Food poisoning is something that could strike anyone at any time…but what happens if you get food poisoning from a dish you were served at a restaurant? Who’s responsible for your medical bills, hardship, and any complications that may come about as a result of the incident? Let’s take a closer look at some of the answers.
Understanding How Food Poisoning Develops
Before you decide to go blowing the whistle on your favorite lunchtime eatery with accusations of food poisoning, it’s important that you fully understand how the symptoms of food poisoning actually develop. If you got sick immediately after eating something, it’s important to understand that that dish you just finished eating is unlikely to be the source of your woes.
The most common bacteria and other pathogens that wind up causing food poisoning as we know it take between 12 and 24 hours to incubate and start causing those telltale symptoms you’re all too familiar with. Some examples – such as the infamous listeria organism – have to incubate up to 70 days before you’ll start feeling off.
Visit Your Doctor
If you’re feeling violently ill and suspect you may be dealing with food poisoning, the first thing that you should do is pay a visit to your doctor for evaluation. Your doctor will be equipped to run important tests that will not only determine what’s ailing you, but help you pinpoint when you were most likely exposed to the pathogen. He or she will run tests, possibly including a stool sample test. You’ll also most likely be prescribed any necessary medications for treatment, such as antibiotics or other digestive aids.
Was It the Restaurant’s Fault?
If you did indeed get sick from something you ate a restaurant, then the chances are going to be excellent that other people who ate there that day will also be sick. If that is indeed the case, those people will be ill thanks to the same pathogen that made you sick and your case will be able to be correlated. This will typically be done via a DNA test known as a PFGE. From there, an investigation will be launched in regards to the conditions present in the associated restaurant’s kitchen. If the responsible bacterium is found on the premises, then it’s likely that you did indeed get sick from that eatery.
Once this is proven, the restaurant is indeed liable for what happened to you. (Make sure you save credit card statements and receipts to prove that you ate there on a particular date if necessary.) Contact your lawyer for further guidance at that point.
