If you are an allergy sufferer and experienced an allergic reaction at a vegetarian restaurant, you could make a claim for compensation against the responsible party. However, you would need to show liability on the part of the restaurant for an allergy claim to be valid.
Our guide to seeking compensation for a vegetarian restaurant allergic reaction walks you through the process of making a claim. We offer advice on the evidence required to support a case. The guide explains the symptoms associated with a food-related allergic reaction, both the milder ones and those which are extremely severe.
We offer an idea on how much a food allergic reaction claim might be worth, and how the amount you could be awarded is calculated. We also provide essential advice on your rights as a consumer and the laws that protect the general public when eating out or ordering a takeaway.
For more information on seeking compensation, please read on by clicking on the sections below. If you would like to discuss a vegetarian food allergy claim with a member of the Legal Helpline team, please call us on 0161 696 9685.
Select A Section
- A Guide To Claiming For A Vegetarian Restaurant Allergic Reaction
- What Is A Vegetarian Food Allergy?
- Popular Places For Vegetarian Dining In The UK
- Legal Protections For Restaurant Diners
- Should You Tell The Restaurant That You Have An Intolerance Or Allergy?
- Could Restaurant Diners Request Ingredients Be Left Out Of Their Meal?
- Facts And Statistics On Having An Allergic Reaction In A Restaurant
- Are There Common Causes And Triggers Of Food Allergies?
- Calculating Compensation For A Vegetarian Restaurant Allergic Reaction
- No Win No Fee Claims For A Vegetarian Restaurant Allergic Reaction
- Our Team Is Here To Help
- Supporting Resources Where You Can Find Out More
A Guide To Claiming For A Vegetarian Restaurant Allergic Reaction
Our guide to claiming for a vegetarian restaurant allergic reaction provides essential reading on how to go about proving liability. We offer advice on what a vegetarian food allergy reaction is, and the legal protections for restaurant diners in the UK. We also provide information on how you should tell the restaurant about an allergy or food intolerance you suffer from.
Allergic reaction after eating in vegetarian-restaurant compensation claims guide
Below, we explain the sort of symptoms you could experience both the minor symptoms, and those which are a lot more serious. The guide also provides information on facts and statistics related to an allergic reaction in a restaurant, and we explain the most common causes and triggers associated with food allergies.
We offer an idea on the level of compensation you could receive in a successful vegetarian restaurant allergic reaction claim, and how we could help you by providing free legal advice and connecting you with a specialist personal injury solicitor from our panel, who can represent you on a No Win No Fee basis.
If you would like to discuss your case with a member of the Legal Helpline team, please call today on the number at the top of this page.
What Is A Vegetarian Food Allergy?
You could suffer a vegetarian food allergic reaction after ordering a meal in a restaurant because the food contained an ingredient that triggered your allergy.
It may be because the meal you ordered contained soybean, lupin, dairy or sesame to name but four of the most common triggers. Should this be the case and it occurred through the fault of the restaurant, you could file for compensation against the party deemed liable.
Symptoms And Causes Of Allergic Reactions
You may experience milder allergic reaction symptoms, or you may suffer anaphylaxis, which is an extremely serious, life-threatening condition that must be treated as a medical emergency.
Milder symptoms of a food-related allergic reaction include the following:
- An itchy, tingling sensation in your mouth
- Hives
- Facial swelling, a swelling of the mouth, throat, or other parts of the body
- Difficulty talking and swallowing
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Feeling lightheaded, dizzy
- Vomiting
- Stomach pain, diarrhoea
- Hay fever symptoms which include sneezing and itchy eyes
Leaky Gut Syndrome
Leaky gut syndrome is thought to be a health issue that a few health practitioners believe can cause other long-term conditions. This includes the following:
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
It is thought that several symptoms, as well as conditions, are a result of a person’s immune system working against toxins, germs and substances which are absorbed in the bloodstream through a ‘leaky’ bowel. However, for the moment there is not enough evidence to support theories that the condition could be the direct cause of many significant health issues.
To find out more, please call a member of the Legal Helpline team today.
Popular Places For Vegetarian Dining In The UK
There are many popular places for vegetarian dining in the UK with the following being favourite eateries that offer vegetarian meals to consumers:
- Pret A Manger
- Wahaca
- Las Iguanas
- Le Pain Quotidien
- Wagamama
- Bills
- Pizza Express
- Nando’s
- Jamie’s Italian and other Italian restaurants
- D. Wetherspoon
Popular Restaurant Dishes
Some of the more popular restaurant vegetarian dishes in the UK include the following:
- Curries
- Soul bowls
- Hearty pies
- Veggie burgers
- Okra fries in chickpea batter
- Paneer skewers
- Deep-fried spiced potato burgers
- Sourdough pizzas
- Courgette kofta with coconut tzatziki
- Pickled turmeric cauliflower
If you had a vegetarian restaurant allergic reaction through no fault of your own, please contact Legal Helpline to find out whether you have a valid claim.
Legal Protections For Restaurant Diners
There are laws in the UK that protect the general public when eating out or ordering a takeaway. The laws must be followed by all food businesses that owe consumers a duty of care.
This is to ensure premises are hygienic and safe for the general public to use and eat in. UK laws that food businesses must abide by are detailed below:
- Article 14 of EC Regulation 178/2002 (General Food Law Regulation)
- Article 28 of EC Regulation 178/2002 (General Food Law Regulation)
- Section 14 of The Food Safety Act 1990
- Section 15 of The Food Safety Act 1990
Does A Restaurant Need To Display Allergy Information?
Food businesses are obliged to list allergens on menus, or if not on the menus, a notice to say where allergen information can be found. Some restaurants may even have dedicated allergy-friendly menus.
A restaurant could opt to provide a ‘prompt’ to ensure that diners ask about anything in the food they order may contain allergens. If a restaurant that serves vegetarian dishes fails to give you the means to obtain allergy information, and you suffer a food allergic reaction, it could entitle you to make a claim for compensation against the restaurant.
To discuss your case with one of our advisers, please call us today.
Should You Tell The Restaurant That You Have An Intolerance Or Allergy?
You can ask for ingredients you know would trigger a reaction to food contained in a meal to be left out. However, a restaurant is not obliged to agree; it is at their discretion to do so. If the person serving you does not appear to be taking a request seriously, you should ask to speak to a manager before ordering any food.
You could ask for known allergens to be left out of the food you order which may include the following:
- Sesame
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Lupin
- Soybean
- Milk
- Mustard
These are just some of the known most common allergens which could trigger a reaction in a vegetarian restaurant. If you still suffer a food-related allergy reaction even if you asked for ingredients to be left out and the outlet agreed with that request, you could seek compensation for the distress and pain you were caused.
Could Restaurant Diners Request Ingredients Be Left Out Of Their Meal?
As previously touched upon, you have the right to request ingredients be left out of the vegetarian meal you order, but this is at the discretion of the restaurant. If, however, they agree but fail to leave the requested ingredients out, you could make an allergic reaction claim against the establishment.
What Should I Do If Still Served Foods I Am Allergic To?
If you asked for specific ingredients to be left out of the food you order in a vegetarian restaurant, and the person serving you agrees to your request, but the dish you were served still contained the ingredients, you could experience a reaction. If this is the case, you could seek compensation for the pain and distress the restaurant caused you.
You may experience an IgE-mediated food allergy or you could suffer a non-IgE-mediated reaction. Whichever you suffer, you should make sure you are examined by a doctor as soon as possible.
The sort of symptoms of a milder food-related reaction could include the following:
- Tingling in your mouth
- Itchiness in your mouth
- Hives
- Facial swelling, swelling of the mouth, throat and/or other parts of the body
- Difficulty swallowing and talking
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness, lightheaded
- Vomiting
- Stomach pains
- Diarrhoea
- Hay fever symptoms
It is worth noting that any symptoms might not be present straight away, but only manifest several hours later.
You may suffer from anaphylaxis which is a health issue that must be treated as a medical emergency. A failure to be treated could prove fatal. The symptoms of anaphylaxis include the following:
- Swollen tongue
- Difficulty breathing
- Tightness of the chest
- Trouble swallowing
- Difficulty talking
- Dizziness
- Feeling faint
- Collapse
To talk to a member of the Legal Helpline team about an allergic reaction claim, please call us today.
Facts And Statistics On Having An Allergic Reaction In A Restaurant
Allergy UK, the national charity, issued a report detailing the number of people who suffer from allergies. This report shows the number of allergy sufferers in the UK continues to rise year on year with the United Kingdom having the highest percentage globally.
The report also establishes that more than 20% of the population suffer from some form of allergy with 44% being affected by more than one.
To discuss whether you have a valid claim against a vegetarian restaurant, please call a member of the Legal Helpline team today.
Are There Common Causes And Triggers Of Food Allergies?
The most common causes and triggers of food allergies are detailed below:
- Nuts
- Mustard
- Lupin
- Gluten
- Fish
- Wheat
- Sulphur dioxide
- Soy
- Shellfish
- Seafood
- Eggs
- Dairy/Milk
- Cereal
- Celery
To discuss a claim for a vegetarian restaurant allergic reaction, please call a member of the Legal Helpline team today.
Calculating Compensation For A Vegetarian Restaurant Allergic Reaction
some people may look for a personal injury claims calculator when they’re thinking of making a claim. We find such tools to provide misleading results sometimes, so instead, we have included a table indicating the level of general damages you could receive in a successful vegetarian restaurant allergic reaction claim.
The amounts shown in our table below are based on the Judicial College Guidelines. They do not include special damages which are covered in the next paragraph.
| Details | Severity | General Damages Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Extremely serious symptoms with ongoing issues that reduce ability to work | Very severe | £36,060 to £49,270 |
| Allergic reaction which could lead to severe symptoms which are usually short-lived | Severe | £8,950 to £18,020 |
| Allergic reaction that usually requires time spent in hospital, however symptoms clear up quickly once treated | Moderate | £3,710 to £8,950 |
| Allergic reaction which is less serious and which typically clears up in several days or weeks | Minor | From around £860 to £3,710 |
These figures serve as estimates only. We understand you may wish for a more accurate assessment, and we can provide it to you over the phone. We need to learn more about your case, so that’s why a quick chat about the circumstances is necessary.
How Special Damages Also Provide Compensation
You could also receive special damages for the financial losses and expenses you had to cope with after suffering a vegetarian restaurant allergic reaction. Special damages you could include in your claim are as follows:
- Care costs if you need help around the home while you recover
- Loss of earnings for the money you lost during your recovery
- Loss of income if you are not able to work again
- Medical expenses which include prescription costs, private medical treatment which is not covered by the NHS
- Travel expenses which include parking fees at the medical facility where you were treated, the cost of getting there and back which includes if you go by train, bus, car, or taxi
For a more accurate idea of how much your vegetarian restaurant allergic reaction claim could be worth, please call a member of the Legal Helpline team today.
No Win No Fee Claims For A Vegetarian Restaurant Allergic Reaction
Legal Helpline provides claimants with an initial consultation which is free of charge, and you would be under no obligation to pursue a vegetarian restaurant allergic reaction claim should you not want to. This allows a member of our team to assess whether you have a valid claim that stands a good chance of being successful.
When we have successfully assessed your case, a personal injury solicitor from our panel would offer to act on your behalf without requesting that you pay an upfront fee. This would involve signing a No Win No Fee Agreement which sets out the conditions of the contract as well as the success fee which would only become payable when you are awarded compensation for the allergic reaction you suffered.
The success fee would be taken out of the compensation you receive with the balance being paid to you. If you lose your claim, you do not have to pay the success fee because the solicitor agreed to this when signing a Conditional Fee Agreement with you.
To discuss your case with a member of the Legal Helpline team, please call us today.
Our Team Is Here To Help
If you would like to discuss your allergic reaction claim with one of our advisers, please do so by contacting Legal Helpline in the following ways:
- By telephone on 0161 696 9685
- By email at [email protected]
- By requesting a call back by clicking here
- By using our online claims form
Supporting Resources Where You Can Find Out More
The link below takes you to our guide on frequently asked questions about shellfish and peanut allergies:
More information on shellfish and peanut allergies
For more information on claiming compensation for a peanut allergy, please follow the link provided below:
Claiming compensation for a peanut allergy
If you would like information on the law that protects consumers in the UK, please click on the link below:
For more advice on how to cope with allergies, please click on the link below:
Find out if you could make a claim for an allergic reaction at a kebab takeaway with our informative guide.
Find out if you can make a claim for an allergic reaction in a greek restaurant with our guide.
Guide by HW
Edited by REB