“Yuk, the food made me sick”

Question:  After I ate, I became sick, and I had to go the ER.  Who is responsible for my bills, pain and suffering, and time I missed from work?

Answer:  There are potentially several defendants:  the food manufacturer (ex., farm), the store or restaurant, suppliers and distributors.  You have to figure out what food made you sick.  A time delay between when you ate the food and became sick may make it difficult to prove which food made you sick, unless others also became sick from eating the same food.  Pinpointing the particular food that caused you to be sick is easier if a government agency steps in and links the food you ate to a food poisoning outbreak.

Note: The information in this column are opinions and are not meant to give legal advice.