Three Lawsuits Filed in Orange County Over Food Poisoning Incidents

Three Orange County residents have sued True Food Kitchen in Fashion Island after they were sickened by a foodborne illness outbreak tied to the restaurant in August. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the lawsuits were filed separately this month in Orange County by three women identified as Lauren Castleton, Dr. Lisa Karamardian and Natasha Minasian. Castleton, 18, of Newport Beach said she was hospitalized at least three times over the course of several weeks for abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and dehydration.

Lawsuits Allege Safety Violations

She tested positive for shigella, an intestinal infection that triggers severe diarrhea. Karamardian, also of Newport Beach and Minasian from Irvine, contracted similar symptoms and also tested positive for Shigella. The Orange County Health Care Agency tracked a cluster of illnesses tied to the restaurant in Fashion Island. The women said they had dined at True Food Kitchen between August 22 and August 25. County health officials said eight people were sickened after eating the restaurant including one employee.

The restaurant shut down for two days. The lawsuits say True Food had a history of poor food safety practices. In 2013, the restaurant was inspected four times and each time, inspectors observed serious food safety violations. The three victims are seeking unspecified damages.

Responsibility of Restaurants

Restaurants and eateries have a responsibility to serve food that is clean and safe to their customers. Restaurants must practice food safety including storing food at the right temperatures, keeping kitchens and surfaces clean and preventing cross contamination between foods. Our food poisoning attorneys have represented victims of food-borne illnesses caused by negligent restaurant owners and managers who did not invest time, money and manpower into ensuring that their food was clean and safe.

If you are experiencing food poisoning symptoms after eating at a restaurant, it is important that you get prompt medical attention, treatment and care. Save your receipt from dining at the restaurant. Report your illness to the local food safety agency or health car agency, which tracks such illnesses and outbreaks. Contact an experienced Orange County food poisoning lawyer who will remain on top of the investigation and ensure that you are fairly and fully compensated for your injuries, damages and losses.