If I found rat feces in a bag of cheese curls that I have been snacking on for about 3 days, what kind of action should I take?
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If I found rat feces in a bag of cheese curls that I have been snacking on for about 3 days, what kind of action should I take?
I have been sick for the past 2 days but brushed it off as a virus. Now not so sure. Definitely sick now that I found feces in food I have been eating.
Asked on September 7, 2011 under Personal Injury, Alabama
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Legally, if a bag of food is adulterated or contaminated by some harmful or foreign material--such as, for example, rate droppings--you may be able to sue some combination of the manufacturer (if that's where the contamination came in), the distributor (if the droppings got in at that stage), or the seller/retailer/etc. (if it was when the bag was in the store that it was contaminated).
The question becomes whether it is worthwhile suing. If you have not incurred significant medical bills, have not lost much work/wages, and will not suffer some long term detriment, it's probably not worth a lawsuit. The law provides compensation for actual injuries suffered; if you "only" feel sick for a few days but have not suffered other costs or damage, it's likely that the cost of a lawsuit would exceed what you could recover.
That said, you can contact the various parties described above and see if any will offer you compensation.
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