Food Poisoning Claims

Making a food poisoning claim

Food poisoning is not just an upset stomach, despite what many people may think. It can cause serious illness, so you’re within your rights to make a compensation claim.

You can get it if you’ve eaten something that has been contaminated with germs. It can be caused by food:

• Being exposed to chemicals
• Being left out in the open too long – something you might experience at a buffet
• Being stored with the wrong food – including cooked food being stored with raw food
• Being touched by someone whose hands are unclean – this exposes the food to any bacteria on their hands
• Not being cooked or reheated properly
• Not stored correctly at the right temperatures
• That’s served after its expiry date

The bacteria that usually cause food poisoning are campylobacter bacteria, which is the most common cause in the UK, as well as salmonella and E. coli. Norovirus, which you may know as the winter vomiting bug, can also be responsible for food poisoning if food is exposed to it.

If you’ve suffered from food poisoning in the last three years, First4Lawyers could be able to help you make a claim.

How do I know I have food poisoning?

Food poisoning usually comes with certain symptoms. This is generally how you know you have it.

You’ll start experiencing symptoms within a few days of eating the food that has caused the illness. But symptoms could start within a few hours or even up to a few weeks later. This can sometimes make it difficult to find out exactly what food was responsible for your illness.

According to the NHS, food poisoning symptoms include:

• Diarrhoea
• Generally feeling unwell – like feeling tired or experiencing aches or chills
• High temperature – 38C or above
• Nausea
• Stomach cramps
• Vomiting

How much compensation could I receive?

There are different levels of severity when it comes to food poisoning. The least severe form could see you receive up to £3,950, while severe toxicosis from food poisoning could mean you’re entitled to up to £52,500.

But that’s not all you could receive. You’re also entitled to special damages, which mean you can claim for any financial impact the food poisoning has had on you.

So if you’ve had to stop working as you recover, you could claim for a loss of earnings. And if you’ve had to pay for any medical treatment, including prescription medication, you could make a claim for that.

The important thing is to keep hold of any receipts or invoices to show what you had to spend money on.

What should I do after suffering food poisoning?

The first thing to do if you think you have food poisoning is to get medical treatment. In most cases, you’ll be able to recover from food poisoning at home, but it’s best to get professional advice in case it is a more severe form.

Once you’ve been treated, you should then work out where you caught the illness. After you’ve figured it out, you can then get in touch with First4Lawyers about a compensation claim.

Our friendly and understanding claims advisors will help you work out whether you can make a claim and let you know what your options are.

How can I pay for a food poisoning claim?

In most cases, our specialist solicitors can take on a personal injury claim on a No Win No Fee basis. There are some significant advantages to this kind of funding arrangement.

For example, you won’t have to pay anything upfront to take legal action. That means you can focus on feeling better, rather than how you’ll be able to pay for your claim.

No Win No Fee also means there is nothing to pay if your claim is not successful. With this kind of agreement, you don’t face any financial risk.

Is there a deadline to making a food poisoning claim?

In most cases of personal injury, you have three years to make a claim. Although that may sound like a long time, the best thing to do is start your claim as quickly as possible. There are several reasons for that.

For example, it can be easier to remember the details of what happened if you begin your claim as soon as possible. You could also find it easier to find certain pieces of evidence, such as receipts for the food you bought, medical reports and even investigations into what happened by the business responsible.

If your food poisoning was caused by a restaurant or café, delaying a claim runs the risk of changes to the business – including it closing. So getting your claim started as soon as possible is always the best decision.

Why should I make a food poisoning claim?

You don’t deserve to be made ill by someone’s negligence. But if it does happen, you have the legal right to compensation for what you’ve gone through.

If you’ve had to take time off work, you might be worried about what effect that will have on your finances. The compensation you’re awarded for a successful claim can help you through a difficult time.

And one of the most important reasons for making a claim is that it can help prevent the same thing happening to someone else. By taking action, you can help the company responsible realise what has happened and correct the problem. That can keep other people safe.

How can First4Lawyers help me?

At First4Lawyers, we help people who have been injured or made ill through no fault of their own. We could help you make a claim if you’ve suffered from food poisoning.

We helped former client Miss B, who suffered from illness and burns to her throat after drinking coffee that contained cleaning chemicals at a café. We could do the same for you.

To find out more about what our expert solicitors can do for you, just give us a call or start your claim online.