The widow of a man who died from a bacterial infection is suing the restaurant
where she and her husband ate on the night of Nov. 27, 2012 before he
became ill. She claims that the fried chicken strips they ordered were
contaminated.
According to the lawsuit, on Nov. 27, they went through the drive-through
of a popular chicken strip joint on 38th Street. That night, the woman
claims, the man stayed up most of the night with vomiting and diarrhea,
but the next day, he collapsed in pain. She brought him to the hospital
where they discovered bacteria known as Campylobacter. In the next few
weeks, the man was in and out of the hospital. He suffered other serious
complications due to his illness including a heart attack. On Dec. 12,
2012, he was taken to the hospital one last time. He was pronounced dead
on arrival.
The widow discovered that the restaurant had records with the Bell County
Health District, which revealed conditions that were conducive to bacteria
growth after an inspection. This included cooking temperatures that did
not reach the required level to kill bacteria in the chicken. Also, cross-contamination
from raw food was cited in the inspection report. In both these instances,
getting the bacterial infection from eating the chicken will increase.
Anytime a person becomes ill due to unsafe food handling practices, the
restaurant may be held responsible. The widow in this case is seeking
damages from the chicken strip restaurant. She filed a claim for
wrongful death and negligence. She also claims the restaurant violated an implied warranty
by serving chicken that was not safe to eat. If her case is successful,
the woman may receive compensation for medical bills, funeral costs and
any final expenses associated with her husband's death.
Source: Courthouse News, "Death Blamed on Bush's Chicken Strips",
David Lee, January 08, 2014