SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego County reported Thursday that there are 98 probable and confirmed cases of salmonella poisoning linked to Aladdin Café in Clairemont. More than half of the victims are suing the restaurant.
"From throwing up, to nausea, and diarrhea. I felt so ill," said Nubia Munguia, one of the victims.
They say what started as a night out for a good meal nearly two weeks ago turned into hospital visits and severe illness.
"I got a fever, sweating through shirts, I had to put a towel on my bed. Constantly changing that out. A splitting headache," said Charles McLaughlin, another victim.
Victims are seeking compensation for their suffering, hospital bills, and loss of wages.
"I went to the emergency room, and they admitted me right away because of how dangerous my blood pressure was. I felt like I was dying," Munguia said.
Attorney Bill Marler has worked on thousands of foodborne illness lawsuits. Although he is not involved in the cases against Aladdin Café, he says the victims' lawyers need to prove three things.
"Proving that you ate there, that you have a receipt. Did you test positive for salmonella, or did you have symptoms consistent with the illness? And were you injured?" Marler said.
Marler says these lawsuits are normally settled outside of court. If a case does go before a judge, a jury will decide how much each victim could receive in compensation. This could vary from tens of thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the severity of their illness.
"The sicker you are, the more long term your complications; your case is worth more," Marler said.
Restaurants typically rely on their insurance to pay off victims. Marler says larger outbreaks like this one could lead to bankruptcy. These lawsuits don't always result in new cleanliness standards, as the courts only determine fault and compensation.
"They aren't the entity that will make sure this restaurant is clean and does the right things going forward," Marler said.
According to Marler, it's up to the restaurant to bring in a consultant and guarantee this doesn't happen again.
