Recovering Compensation for an Injury Sustained in a Restaurant

 Posted on April 16, 2019 in Premises Liability

Most people never expect to suffer an injury while they are enjoying a nice meal in a restaurant. Fortunately, restaurant patrons in Illinois who have been injured due to negligence are often able to recover compensation for damages. Read on to learn about premises liability suits for injuries that occur in restaurants and what you should do if you were injured due to another party’s carelessness.

Slip and Fall Injuries Sustained at Restaurants

There are several different ways that a person could be injured while out to eat. One of the most common injuries sustained by restaurant patrons is a slip and fall injury. For example, when staff neglect to clean up spills, they create an environmental hazard that could cause a customer to slip and fall. Sometimes falls result in nothing but a bruise or two. However, if the injured person hit their head or spine when they fell, the resulting physical damage could be much worse.

Slip and fall accidents are especially concerning for elderly or disabled individuals. A fall which would only result in minor injuries to a healthy person could result in broken bones or worse in an elderly, sick, or disabled person. Poor lighting, uneven surfaces, icy walkways, and broken stairs contribute to falls as well.

Food Poisoning Can Be Caused by Mishandling of Food

Another way people can be injured in a restaurant is through food poisoning. When food is contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites, food poisoning can result. The most common symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea. While many people who get food poisoning only have symptoms for a few days and no lasting physical damage, others require hospitalization.

E. coli, listeria, and salmonella can be particularly dangerous and even deadly depending on the circumstances and extent of contamination. Pregnant women, children and infants, and immunocompromised individuals are most at risk for having a severe reaction to food poisoning. Proving food poisoning was caused by a restaurant in a lawsuit can be very challenging. The most successful injury suits regarding food poisoning stem from restaurants who serve food that was the subject of a product recall or a health agency warning.

Burns Caused by Hot Food, Drink, Dishes, and Appliances in a Restaurant

One of the most extreme examples of restaurant negligence is the famous “hot coffee lawsuit” brought on behalf of an elderly woman who was burned by McDonald’s coffee. The coffee in question had been heated to 190 degrees F. At this temperature, the hot liquid can cause third degree burns in a matter of seconds. The woman who accidentally spilled the coffee in her lap required eight days of hospitalization, skin grafts, and and two years of ongoing medical care because of the burns. If you have been burned while visiting a restaurant, café, or bar, contact a personal injury lawyer to learn about your options for compensation.

Contact a Winnebago County Premises Liability Attorney

If you or a loved one was injured at a restaurant, contact a Rockford, Illinois personal injury lawyer from Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Injury Law. Call us at 815-215-7561 to schedule a free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-mcdonalds-coffee-case_b_14002362

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2048