Making a claim against a supermarket for food poisoning

Supermarkets have a duty of care and a legal responsibility for your well-being while you are on their premises. The products you buy must also reach acceptable food safety standards. A customer may suffer from food poisoning through products sold within the supermarket or from using a café or restaurant owned by the supermarket.

Specifically, food poisoning is a condition that occurs when food contaminated with toxins, harmful bacteria or other micro-organisms is eaten. Although thought to be quite rare, Campylobacter, the most common bacteria found in chicken is thought to affect nearly 300,000 people a year.

How you may have been affected

Symptoms of food poisoning most commonly occur directly after eating, but symptoms can be delayed by up to 10 days afterwards (especially in the case of Campylobacter). So it is therefore important to visit your GP as soon as you suspect food poisoning – primarily for your own health but also to ensure there is a medical record and a clear professional diagnosis.

Symptoms are many and diverse and could include vomiting, diarrhoea, sweating, abdominal cramps, dizziness, excessive salivation, tearing in the eyes, loss of speech, blurred vision, muscle weakness and dehydration.

The effects of food poisoning can be traumatic, leave long term issues, and prevent you from working or living normally.

What should they have done?

All businesses have to adhere to the guidance and regulations laid out in the Food Safety Act 1990. This act ensures that proper risk assessment and procedures take place during sourcing and manufacturing of food products. Supermarkets are also advised to regularly check on their own suppliers and agents to ensure regulations are being followed.

What should you do?

If you suspect you are suffering from, or have suffered from food poisoning you need to gather as much information as you possibly can. This could include GP records, records of liaison with the Supermarket, receipts of food purchase, and a record of how your life has been affected (including days off work etc.)

How we can help

At mysupermarketaccident.com we guide you through the whole process on a no win-no fee basis. We will match the needs of your case and personal preferences with our panel of solicitors who are pre-screened experts in this type of claim. To make an enquiry simply fill in our compensation claim form or call us on 0800 327 7919