Personal injury caused by foreign objects in food

When you take a bite out of that favorite food you have been craving for a week, the last thing you expect is to be injured. However, this sometimes occurs due to foreign objects that can find their way into the mix. Whether it be through the manufacturing, packaging, or preparation process, items such as glass, stones, sharp objects, and even jewelry can end up causing harm to unsuspecting eaters. In addition to those items, ingredients which are not listed on the package and that a person would not have reasonably expected to consume would also be considered foreign and could pose a danger. This is especially true if an individual has allergies.

Recently, a California woman prepared a store bought burrito for her daughter. When her daughter bit into it, the woman heard a crunching sound. Upon investigation, she discovered that the burrito contained shards of glass. Though not intentional, accidents like this one do happen at manufacturing facilities, and companies can be held liable.

Restaurants are held to an especially high standard when it comes to safety in preparing food. If a patron is injured by chewing or choking on a foreign object at a restaurant, the establishment can be immediately shut-down, temporarily or permanently, and held liable. However, this only applies to items which would not typically be found in foods. For example, fish bones and cherry pits would not be considered foreign objects.

Typical injuries suffered from the ingestion of foreign objects include cuts or lacerations in the mouth and throat, broken teeth, allergic reactions, and illness. Some type of actual injury must have occurred for a court to consider a personal injury case stemming from these incidences. A party may not simply ingest the object with no harm, and then attempt to hold someone liable for it. An attorney can help in determining the severity and cost of an injury, as well as determine who made be held liable for damages suffered.