Chicken outlet sued after man dies

A Texas woman claims that bacteria found in chicken strips from a chicken outlet in Killeen resulted in the death of her husband. The claims were laid in a wrongful death lawsuit filed in Travis County Court.

The woman is suing the chicken outlet and the franchisor. She claims that she and her deceased husband purchased chicken through the drive-through on Nov. 27, 2012 and the chicken contained campylobacter bacteria. An infection caused by the bacteria is usually caused when a person consumes raw or undercooked poultry or when there is cross-contamination of other food items by raw or undercooked poultry. She says that her husband ate some of the chicken immediately and the rest of it later on that night. She then says that the woman’s husband woke her up with his vomiting and diarrhea. She said that the symptoms started at 3 a.m. and continued for three hours. She then said that she discovered her husband collapsed and writhing in pain. He reportedly suffered weeks of pain and was hospitalized for intense pain. The hospital diagnosed him with an infection caused by Campylobacter bacteria.

The man suffered a heart attack while hospitalized, but he was resuscitated. Additionally, the man was readmitted to the hospital two times after he was initially released. On Dec. 12, 2012, the man collapsed again at home and was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital. The woman’s claim also alleges that the chicken outlet has a record of cooking food at improper temperatures, cross-contamination and other health violations.

If a person dies due to the negligent or reckless actions of another party, the victim’s family may decide to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit. Through such a claim, the victim’s family may be able to recover damages for the loss of a loved one.

Source: Courthouse News, “Death Blamed on Bush’s Chicken Strips“, David Lee, January 08, 2014