There’s nothing worse than getting food poisoning that you think might be tied to a restaurant in Philadelphia. The sickness can overtake you for anywhere from one to a few days as your system recovers, but the process can make you extremely sick. With severe cases of food poisoning, there’s more than a good chance that you are unable to go to work at all.
If you think a restaurant is to blame for your food poisoning, you may be wondering what cause, if any, you have against the restaurant. Some people may choose to simply never patronize that establishment again, but others may wish to consult a Philadelphia injury attorney about their options for filing a lawsuit.
Although there are situations where you can go after a restaurant for food poisoning, there are several important steps you need to take if you intend to do this. It goes without saying that you may want to visit with your doctor, even if you are likely to hear that he or she recommends staying home, resting, and drinking plenty of fluids. The main reason for visiting your doctor is ruling out other options, but it could also be important for identifying what made you sick.
Step #1: Try to Identify the Pathogen Making You Sick
In order to move forward with a legal claim in Philadelphia, you must be able to show that you were sick. Seeing your doctor and reporting the symptoms is often the first step, and he or she may be able to advise you about the specific type of food poisoning you have. If you suspect that food poisoning is the culprit, you have to know what testing to ask for. In this case, ask for PFEG testing. That stands for pulsed-field gel electrophoreses. Why does this matter? If you and others who ate at the same restaurant can show PFEG patterns, it’s much easier to trace the source of your sickness and strengthen your potential injury claim.
Step #2: Don’t Throw Away Leftovers if You Think You Have Food Poisoning
It might be tempting to get rid of the source of your food poisoning, but this could be valuable evidence. Hold on to the food until you’ve had a chance to get it checked out.
Step #3: Hire an Injury Attorney
One of the most common cases in which you have a claim against the restaurant is where an employee made you sick. If the restaurant is in any way responsible for what made you ill, you have a claim against them. It’s up to you to hire the right Philadelphia injury attorney to walk through your options. Cases like this are notoriously complex and require the insight of someone who has handled cases like this before. It will likely involve a comprehensive investigation on your attorney’s part, so you need to pick the right person for the job.