Wedding Food Poisoning Compensation Claims – How Much Compensation Can I Claim? How To Claim?

By Daniel Archer. Last updated 11th April 2022. Welcome to our guide on how to make wedding food poisoning compensation claims.

By reading it, you will learn everything that you need to know about how you may be eligible to make a claim, and also how you can engage a solicitor to process a claim for you. As long as you are making a claim within the personal injury claims time limit, which is generally three years, this guide should be useful to you.

Although we have not included a personal injury claims calculator on this page, we will be able to give you an estimate of how much you might be able to claim, and also answer any questions you might have. For a free consultation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch today:

• Call 0800 073 8804
• Email info@legalexpert.co.uk
• Chat to one of our advisors using the pop-up feature

Select A Section:

• A guide to wedding food poisoning claims
• Food safety laws in the UK
• What steps should you take if you have food poisoning
• What are some of the most common causes of food poisoning
• Am I liable if a guest got food poisoning at my wedding?
• Can I sue my caterer for food poisoning at my wedding?
• Case study: a bride and groom who suffered food poisoning caused by food served at their wedding reception
• How to make a wedding food poisoning claim
• Damages your wedding food poisoning claim could include
• Calculate how much you could claim for food poisoning at your wedding
• No win no fee wedding food poisoning claims
• How our team can help you
• Speak to us today
• Helpful guides and resources

A Guide To Wedding Food Poisoning Claims

This guide on wedding food poisoning compensation claims is intended to be of help to those interested in learning about the claims process. It will give you all of the information you need, to begin making informed choices about how you should proceed with making a compensation claim. It contains information such as:

• A general overview of the laws that relate to selling food in the UK. These laws would also cover wedding caterers, so it is important with regard to your claim.
• A number of steps you should take if you have contracted food poisoning at a wedding, to prepare for making a claim.
• A list of the most common causes of food poisoning, as well as some of the most common bacteria that cause food poisoning.
• We take a look at the issue of liability if a guest at your wedding has become ill after eating food at the reception.
• We then move on to look at how you may be eligible to make a claim against a caterer that has supplied food at a wedding, which caused food poisoning.
• A short case study demonstrates how a couple who were getting married, came down with food poisoning and were successfully able to make a claim.
• A short overview of how you can best go about preparing for and making your food poisoning claim.
• A list of all the typical types of damages that we see compensation settlements include. Covering both general and special damages.
• A table that gives details of the amount you might be able to claim, for a number of different types of illness.
• An introduction to the Legal Expert national claims service, and an explanation of why we believe this is the best legal service for processing your food poisoning claim.
• Finally, you will find a number of external and internal links, leading to web pages that contain useful information.

If you have any questions, and this guide does not answer them, then please call Legal Expert on the number at the end of this page. When you do, one of our team will use simple English with no legal jargon, to give you the answers that you need.

Food Safety Laws In The UK

The graph above shows the age ranges which are most likely to suffer from food poisoning. This would include wedding food poisoning. Every food vendor in the UK, from fine dining restaurants to burger vans, have to conform with the UK food laws.

The Consumer Protection Act 1987 says that all food that is sold for consumption in the UK, should be fit for humans, and not contain any bacteria. When you contract food poisoning, it is bacteria that is the cause, so the food vendor would be in breach of UK laws. You would likely have a valid reason to make a claim if:

1. The food that the vendor sold you was infected with bacteria in some way.
2. It was the food itself that caused your food poisoning, not some other factor.
3. There must be evidence that the vendor was to blame in some way.

If the points above are all applicable in your case, then Legal Expert should be able to help you to make a claim for food poisoning compensation. Call us on the number at the end of this guide to proceed.

What Steps Should You Take If You Have Food Poisoning

If you believe you have caught food poisoning at a wedding reception, then you need to take some specific steps, to make sure you have the best chance of making a successful compensation claim. These include:

• Visit your GP or the hospital to have your case of food poisoning diagnosed and treated.
• Get in touch with the local Environmental Health Department and make a report to them about the wedding caterer.
• Take at least two days away from work, so that you do not pass the food poisoning on to others while you are still infected.
• List all of the foods that you tried at the wedding so that the culprit can be identified.
• If at all possible, try and get a sample of the foods that you ate at the wedding, and freeze them, keeping them well away from other food.
• Visit a Gastroenterologist to have an examination done, and a report about your illness written up.

Once you have taken steps such as these above, it will be much simpler for Legal Expert to process your claim for you. Call us on the number at the end of this page to start your claim today.

What Are Some Of The Most Common Causes Of Food Poisoning?

When you make a wedding caterer complaint about food poisoning, you will be reporting one of a number of illnesses that share the same symptoms. All of these illnesses fall under the combined name of food poisoning. Each of the bacteria listed below causes a slightly different type of food poisoning:

• Clostridium perfringens
• E. coli
• Listeria
• Salmonella
• Norovirus
• Campylobacter

Of course, the bacteria mentioned above cannot become a vector for a case of food poisoning, without having an environment to thrive in, such as bad food. Food can go bad for many reasons, allowing bacteria to grow, including:

• Unhygienic kitchen or unhygienic staff.
• Left sitting out on the wedding buffet table for too long.
• Cooked before the wedding and then reheated before it was served or stored at the wrong temperature.
• Undercooked.

If you came down with food poisoning due to wedding food, call Legal Expert on the number at the bottom of the page. We will explain how our claims service works, and get started on your claim right away.

Am I Liable If A Guest Got Food Poisoning At My Wedding?

To answer the question, “a guest got food poisoning at my wedding, am I liable?” the answer would generally be no. You would only be liable yourself if you a) prepared the food, or b) did something to cause the food to go bad. Your wedding caterer is likely to be the liable party in a food poisoning claim.

If you are unsure of who is liable, call Legal Expert on the number at the bottom of this page. Explain what happened, and we will be able to tell you who is probably liable, and whether you will be able to make a claim or not.

Can I Sue My Caterer For Food Poisoning At My Wedding?

In most cases, it is the caterer sued for wedding food poisoning. The laws pertaining to the sale of food in the UK were outlined in a previous section. Your wedding caterer needs to comply with these laws. If they don’t, and one of the wedding guests comes down with food poisoning due to the food the caterer supplied, then they could be liable to pay compensation to the injured party.

If you call Legal Expert on the number at the bottom of this guide, and we can explain to you how liability works, and get your claim started as soon as possible.

Case Study: A Bride And Groom Who Suffered Food Poisoning Caused By Food Served At Their Wedding Reception

In this case study, we look at how a bride sues the caterer at her wedding, after herself, the groom, and several guests go down with food poisoning.

The UK couple were in Las Vegas for their wedding, with the reception being held at a country hotel. During the wedding dinner, the guests were served some pate, which later was discovered to be the cause of the food poisoning.

The couple, and also several guests, came down with severe food poisoning a little later, causing the bride and groom to cut their honeymoon short. The illness was very serious, with both the bride and groom vomiting every few minutes, and with terrible diarrhoea.

The hotel admitted liability, and that hygiene had been lax in the kitchen. The bride and groom received a compensation payment of over £31,000 and the total paid to guests who fell ill amounted to over £100,000.

Galloping Gourmet – Another Example of A Wedding Food Poisoning Incident

In October of 2017, a catering firm called Galloping Gourmet was fined £200,000 for supplying a hog roast to a wedding that was infected with salmonella*. Guests who ate the hog roast suffered from symptoms such as:

• Stomach cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Fatigue

In addition to the £200,000 fine, Galloping Gourmet also had to pay almost £50,000 in additional costs. When the outbreak was identified, the meat in question was described as “dangerously undercooked”. Therefore, the illness caused would have been down to the negligence of the catering firm themselves.

The newlyweds also had to cancel their honeymoon due to their illness.

Off the back of a claim like this, you may be able to claim for the suffering you endured as a result of the food poisoning. However, you may also be able to claim for costs and losses that arise as a result.

To use the example from the case study above, you may be able to claim back the cost of your honeymoon if you are unable to attend due to the illness brought about by wedding food poisoning that was caused by negligence.

*Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-50102439

How To Make A Wedding Food Poisoning Claim

If you intend to make a claim for wedding compensation, after coming down with food poisoning after eating the food at a wedding, there are a number of steps you should take to prepare for your claim. These include:

• Take photographs of the food that caused the problem.
• Talk to other people at the wedding who ate the same food, and ask them for their contact details.
• Try to secure a sample of the food that caused the problem, and keep it frozen.
• Get proper professional medical treatment for your illness.

Taking steps like this above will help Legal Expert in processing your claim for you. Call us on the number below to proceed with your claim.

Damages Your Wedding Food Poisoning Claim Could Include

When a personal injury solicitor processes a food poisoning claim on your behalf, if they are successful, the compensation settlement that you receive will comprise a number of different kinds of damages. These are explained below.

What are General Damages?

General damages are paid to compensate the claimant for all of the physical aspects of their illness. These could include:

• To compensate for a permanent or long-term disability.
• To make up for the discomfort of a long and painful recovery.
• As compensation for psychological injury such as anxiety, PTSD or depression.
• To cover the pain and suffering.

What are Special Damages?

Special damages are paid to make up with non-physical losses, either financial or otherwise, and could include:

• A provision for a lowered earning potential in the future.
• To make up for loss of earnings if you had to take time away from work.
• To compensate you for out of pocket costs such as medical bills and travel costs.
• To cover the cost of any domestic help you need, such as a nurse or a care team.

Legal Expert can give you a much more accurate idea of the types of damages you might be able to claim. All you need to do is give us a call on the number below to find out.

Calculate How Much You Could Claim For Food Poisoning At Your Wedding

When a personal injury lawyer processes a claim, the amount received is different across claims, as each is unique in its circumstances. However, if you have suffered from food poisoning after eating bad food at a wedding, the table below will give you a general idea of how much you might be able to claim.

If you would like a much more accurate estimate of how much you might be able to claim in food poisoning compensation, please call Legal Expert on the number below. Once we know a little more about your claim, we will be able to tell you how much we believe you may be able to claim.

No Win No Fee Wedding Food Poisoning Claims

If you were to fund your own compensation claim for food poisoning, the solicitor’s fees would have to come out of your own pocket. If you win your claim, you will get the legal costs back. But if you lost it, they are gone for good.

Legal Expert has a much better option for you. We can process your claim under a No Win No Fee agreement. You don’t pay us anything at all until we have actually won you a compensation settlement. There is no charge to take your claim on initially, and no charge as we are processing your claim.

If we are unsuccessful and fail to win you any damages, you pay nothing. If we do win you a compensation settlement though, when we receive the payment on your behalf, we will automatically take our pre-agreed percentage as fees straight out of the amount received. We will then pass what is left to you.

If you would like to learn more about the Legal Expert claims service, which is available to people all across the UK, then call us on the number below.

How Our Team Can Help You

Legal Expert is a team of solicitors that are highly skilled and experienced in processing personal injury claims of all types. Our national claims service has proven to be effective in securing compensation settlements in even the most challenging of claims. We will always aim to get you the maximum level of compensation possible for your specific injury or illness. Yet while we are doing this, we will never take any risks that would see you lose your ability to make a claim.

If you would like to learn more about the service we offer, please give us a call on the number below. One of our team will answer any questions you may have, and explain our new claim onboarding process to you. Then when you are ready, we can begin working on your claim right away.

Speak To Us Today

Did you become ill with food poisoning after eating bad food at a wedding reception? Do you think you might have a valid reason to make a personal injury claim? If so, then all you need to do is:

• Call 0800 073 8804
• Email info@legalexpert.co.uk
• Chat to one of our advisors using the pop-up feature

When you do, one of our team will ask you a number of questions, the answers to which will give us a better picture of your claim. Once we know enough, we will offer you some free advice on what we think you should do next. In many cases, this will be to use the Legal Expert national claims service to process your claim under a No Win No Fee agreement.

Helpful Guides And Resources

The UK Government has made all of the UK food laws available for you to read, at this link:

Information about UK food laws

The NHS has published some detailed information about food poisoning here:

NHS information about food poisoning

If you have become ill with food poisoning after working as one of the serving staff at a wedding, this guide to work-related illnesses may be of interest:

A guide to claiming for a work-related illness

If you have been scalded by hot food or drink being spilt on you at a wedding, check this link below:

A guide to claiming for scalds and burns caused by spilt food and drink

If you have attended a wedding reception that was held in a restaurant, and you have been injured in an accident, you may like to read this guide:

A guide to claiming for accidents in a restaurant

Other Helpful Guides

• How To Sue A Restaurant For An Allergy In The UK
• Allergic  At A Restaurant – What Are My Legal Rights?
• How Much Compensation For A Fatal Accident – Wrongful Death Claims
• Chemical Burn Injury Claims
• Beauty Treatment Injury Claims
• How To Make a Personal Injury Claim For An Accident on the Street
• How To Make a Bleach Burn Claim After An Accident in a Salon
• Vegan Restaurant Allergic Reaction Claims Guide
• Restaurant Accident Compensation Claims
• Doormat Slip, Trip and Fall Claims

Wedding food poisoning compensation claims FAQs

What is food poisoning?

Food poisoning is an illness that results from eating contaminated food or ingesting bacteria such as E. coli or salmonella.

How serious is food poisoning?

It’s rare that food poisoning is serious and symptoms should usually improve within a week of developing them. Typically, you should be able to treat yourself or your child at home by drinking enough fluids to avoid becoming dehydrated.

What are food poisoning symptoms?

Some common symptoms include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Stomach pain
• High temperature (38C or higher)
• Fever symptoms, such as chills
• Fatigue

Can you sue for food poisoning at a wedding?

Yes, if you can prove that it was caused by the caterer’s negligence. Those preparing the food have a duty of care to make sure they take all reasonable steps to make sure that those they service are not made ill.

How much can I sue for food poisoning UK?

Every claim is different so must be valued individually. Therefore, there is no way of estimating how much compensation you could claim for your case without providing more detail. Why not get in touch today for a free consultation?

Thanks for reading our guide on wedding food poisoning compensation claims.