When you eat out at Beefeater Grill, you’ll hope to enjoy a nice meal and have a good time with friends and family. That will be the case for most customers, but for a small number of people, their outing can be ruined if they suffer an allergic reaction to an ingredient contained in their meal. If the restaurant has failed to provide clear information about the allergen being present, it’s possible the customer could make a compensation claim for the suffering caused by their reaction. In this article, we’re going to show you when a claim might be possible for an allergic reaction after eating in a Beefeater Grill.
Legal Helpline could make your claims process a lot easier. We’ll assess what happened and provide completely free legal guidance. If you want to claim, and your advisor believes there’s a chance of success, you’ll be referred to one of our experienced No Win No Fee personal injury lawyers from our panel.
If you’d like to start your claim now, please contact a trained advisor on 0161 696 9685. Alternatively, please carry on reading the rest of this guide about suffering an allergic reaction in a Beefeater Grill.
Jump To A Section
- A Guide To Claiming For A Food Allergy In A Beefeater Grill Restaurant
- What Is An Allergy To A Food Or Drink?
- How Frequently Do People Suffer Allergic Reactions To Foods?
- I Informed A Restaurant Of My Allergy And Requested I Not Be Served This Food
- Could Negligence Lead To You Suffering An Allergic Reaction?
- What Are My Legal Rights When Dining In A Restaurant?
- Can Claims Be Made If You Did Not Tell The Restaurant About Your Allergy?
- Foods Which Could Cause You To Have An Allergic Reaction
- Beefeater Menu And Allergy Information
- Food Allergy In A Beefeater Grill Restaurant Compensation Calculator
- How Else You Could Be Compensated Through Special Damages
- No Win No Fee Claims For A Food Allergy In A Beefeater Grill Restaurant
- Contact A Solicitor About Your Case
- References
A Guide To Claiming For A Food Allergy In A Beefeater Grill Restaurant
The food labelling laws in this country are designed to make it easier for allergy sufferers to get the correct information about allergens before they order food. An onus is placed on food producers to show any allergen, or potential allergen, on signage, menus or food packaging. If they don’t, and somebody suffers an allergic reaction because of the negligence, then a compensation claim for any pain and suffering could be made, provided these failings can be proven.
We’ll look at different ways in which a restaurant’s negligence could lead to a reaction. We’ll also review when a claim might be possible and what amount of compensation could be payable.
We really would like to get one message across before you continue reading though: start the claims process as soon as possible. The first reason for doing so is that it’s easier to remember what happened in the days or weeks following the incident. The second is that there’s a limitation period that applies to your claim. This means the case has to be made within 3 years from the date the allergic reaction happened. The longer the claim is left, the less time your solicitor will have to complete their work before a claim is submitted.
Once you’ve digested the information in this article, contact us if there’s any further information you need or when you’re ready to start your claim.
What Is An Allergy To A Food Or Drink?
The human body is wonderfully designed and carries out many complex and clever functions every day. However, it can make mistakes and that’s the case with allergic reactions.
When you eat certain ingredients, the immune system can incorrectly determine them to be dangerous to you. To try and stop you being harmed, antibodies get released around the body and it’s this process which causes the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
NHS information on allergies shows the most common symptoms to include:
- Abdominal pain.
- Itching in the mouth.
- Difficulty swallowing.
- Feeling dizzy.
- A red, itchy and raised rash called hives.
In most cases, symptoms will pass after a few hours, days or weeks. However, the most severe form of allergic reaction is known as anaphylaxis. This can make breathing difficult and lead to a life-threatening situation if not treated as an emergency.
What Is A Food Allergy Triggered By Food At A Beefeater Restaurant?
As you’ll have seen from the NHS information in the last section, food allergies are not anybody’s fault. So why would it be possible to seek compensation for an allergic reaction after eating in a Beefeater Grill? Well, because so many people in the UK suffer from food allergies, there are laws in place which put a duty of care on restaurants to uphold the health and safety of their customers by clearly indicating the presence of allergens in the food they sell.
When a restaurant is negligent and fails to uphold its duties, a customer who suffers an allergic reaction could go on to make a compensation claim. It is these scenarios that we’ll review throughout this article.
How Frequently Do People Suffer Allergic Reactions To Foods?
It’s surprising just how many people suffer from food allergies. If you don’t live with somebody who suffers, or you’re not a sufferer yourself, the figures can be quite astonishing.
According to data from the Food Standards Agency:
- Up to 2% of adults in the country have a food-related allergy.
- Up to 8% of children also suffer from allergic reactions caused by food.
- There are around 600,000 people who suffer from Coeliac disease.
These figures are based solely on food allergies and don’t account for those who suffer from food intolerances.
I Informed A Restaurant Of My Allergy And Requested I Not Be Served This Food
It’s quite normal for customers to ask waiting staff to remove certain ingredients from their meal before it’s cooked. That may be simply because they’re not a fan of the particular ingredient. More importantly, it could be because they know they’re allergic to the ingredient.
On some occasions, the waiting staff will refuse the request and tell the customer to make another choice. If they agree to the customer’s bespoke request, however, but the food still contains the ingredient when it arrives, the customer could make a claim for a subsequent allergic reaction. Here is a list of some items you might ask to be taken out of your food:
- No Wheat
- No Eggs
- No Oats
- No Cheese
- No Milk
- No Nuts
- No Fish
When this type of order is placed, you’ll often see the request listed on your receipt. If that’s the case, you could use the receipt as evidence to support your claim if you decide to make one. Please call us today and let us know what happened and how you suffered.
Could Negligence Lead To You Suffering An Allergic Reaction?
Chain restaurants like Beefeater Grill like you to enjoy the same experience in whichever of their restaurants you eat in. The food should be prepared in the same way and the experience should be similar. That’s why they spend a lot of time and money on training staff. Part of that training will be on allergen advice that needs to be provided to customers. Even after training though, mistakes can happen and mean that staff don’t adhere to the advice they’ve been given by their employer.
That means you might be able to claim if you suffer an allergic reaction caused by:
- The allergen notice provided by Beefeater not being displayed in the right place.
- Incorrect answers from staff regarding your allergen questions.
- Kitchen staff not following the correct safety procedures meaning your food is cross-contaminated.
- Chefs not following the correct recipe and including an allergen that’s not listed in the menu, or including an allergen you’d requested be left out.
Should any of the scenarios listed cause you to suffer an allergic reaction, you could be able to begin a claim for your suffering. Let us know what happened and we’ll explain how we could help.
What Are My Legal Rights When Dining In A Restaurant?
Many of the purchases you make on a daily basis are protected by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This legislation could entitle you to claim against a business if the purchased item is not as advertised or not fit for its intended purpose when it arrives.
In the case of food purchases, that means the meal you order should be as advertised i.e. contain the ingredients listed within the menu, packaging or signage. If it doesn’t, you may have the right to make a claim against the restaurant as long as you can prove their breach of duty.
Also, in cases where food preparation areas are shared and lead to the risk of cross-contamination, you might consider claiming against them if you suffer a reaction because the menu didn’t carry a ‘may contain’ notice to warn you of the risk.
Can Claims Be Made If You Did Not Tell The Restaurant About Your Allergy?
It’s a common misconception that you need to tell the staff at any restaurant or food-related business of any allergy that you suffer from. In fairness, that could be quite a good idea, but you’re not obliged to do so. The legal burden is on the restaurant to inform you about potential allergens, not the other way round. That means, even if you didn’t discuss your allergy before placing an order, you could still be allowed to claim compensation.
Failures To Warn Customers Of Allergies
When a restaurant sells you a meal, there are a few ways they can tell you about the allergens, or potential allergens, contained within the meal. These include:
- A prominent sign giving information about how to locate allergen information. “Please visit our website for allergen information” could be sufficient in this case.
- Staff advice on allergens, when asked.
- Labelling the menu with information about allergens contained within each meal.
If you think you’ve suffered an allergic reaction after eating in a Beefeater Grill due to inadequate allergen advice, let our team know and we’ll work out your next steps for you.
Foods Which Could Cause You To Have An Allergic Reaction
We’ve mentioned some foods you might be allergic to as we’ve gone through this guide, but there are more food allergens than you may be aware of. Therefore, for your information, we’ve provided a detailed list of potential allergies below:
- Mustard allergies
- Dairy allergies
- Shellfish allergies
- Egg allergies
- Wheat allergies
- Soy allergies
- Fruit allergies
- Sulphur dioxide allergies
- Gluten allergies
- Nut allergies
- Fish allergies
- Lupin allergies
- Celery allergies
- Seafood allergies
- Milk allergies
- Cereal allergies
You could ask for compensation if any of the above allergens weren’t correctly labelled and caused you to suffer an allergic reaction after eating at a Beefeater Grill. Please collect as much evidence as you’re able to that’ll support your claim and then contact Legal Helpline for information on what you could do next.
Beefeater Menu And Allergy Information
For guidance, we’ve provided a list of the menu options at Beefeater Grill at the time of writing. It’s worth noting that while COVID-19 restrictions have been implemented, many restaurants have reduced their options, so less kitchen staff are required to work at any one time. Therefore, some choices might not be available at all restaurants.
Menu
Starters
- Calamari
- Soup of the day
- Classic Prawn Cocktail
- Buttermilk Chicken Goujons
- Crispy Flat Cap Mushrooms
Mains
House Favourites
- Beer-Battered Haddock and Chips
- Scampi
- Buttermilk Chicken Goujon Salad with Caesar Dressing
- Mozzarella Filled Chicken Wrapped in Pancetta
- Open Chicken Sandwich
- Luxury Beef and Pancetta Lasagne
Steaks
- 8oz Rump
- 8oz Fillet
- 8oz Sirloin
- 10oz Rib Eye
Tender Grills
- Beefeater Mixed Grill
- BBQ Chicken and Ribs
- Smothered Chicken Melt
- Grilled Gammon Steak
- Premium Surf and Turf Combo
Sides
- Crispy Beer-Battered Onion Rings
- Peppercorn Sauce
Puddings
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Meringue Kisses
- Triple Chocolate Brownie
- Caramel Apple Betty
- Churros Chocolate Sundae
- Ice Cream
Food Allergy In A Beefeater Grill Restaurant Compensation Calculator
When we discuss compensation with potential claimants, it’s important to point out that everybody suffers differently which means compensation awards can vary from case to case. Therefore, instead of offering a personal injury claims calculator (that often causes confusion), we’ve listed some figures from the Judicial College. They provide compensation lists that courts and lawyers use to help reach settlement amounts. After you have discussed your claim, your solicitor should be able to explain what compensation they hope to achieve in your case.
Type Of Claim Compensation Range Detailed Notes
Allergic Reaction - Minor Up to £3,710 Usually, cases in this category will see mild symptoms that last no more than two weeks and full recovery will occur without hospital treatment.
Allergic Reaction - Serious £3,710 to £8,950 More serious symptoms will be sustained in this category including significant discomfort fatigue or stomach cramps. Suffering will require hospitalisation in most cases and could last for a couple of weeks. Complete recovery might take around a year.
Allergic Reaction - Serious £8,950 to £18,020 Symptoms which will take between two to four weeks to reduce and require time in hospital. Some symptoms might take as long as a year to clear fully while some might be permanent.
When your claim is submitted, medical evidence is needed to prove exactly how you’ve suffered. That’s because the amount awarded is based on the severity of injuries and your long-term suffering. As part of any compensation claim, your solicitor will arrange for you to attend a local medical assessment.
At the appointment, your injuries will be assessed along with your medical records and you’ll be asked some questions relating to your symptoms. Then the medical specialist will provide a report detailing the injuries, their impact and the risk of any long-term symptoms.
How Else You Could Be Compensated Through Special Damages
In a personal injury claim, there are two heads of loss that are usually claimed for. These are known as general and special damages. The general damages element was discussed in the previous section. It relates to the compensation designed to cover pain, suffering and loss of amenity.
Special damages are claimed to try and make sure you don’t lose out financially because of your allergic reaction. Therefore, you can claim for some costs that have been caused by the reaction including:
- Medical Costs. We’re lucky that, in most cases, treatment to help you recover will be provided free on the NHS. That said, it’s still possible to build up costs such as prescription fees, over the counter medication and treatment from non-NHS sources.
- Care Costs. Some allergic reactions can leave you unable to function normally for days, weeks or even months. While you’re in that situation, you might need somebody to support you at home. If that’s the case, you may want to claim for a professional carer or the time of a friend who looked after you.
- Travelling Expenses. You might need to take trips to see a doctor, visit the hospital or collect medicine from the pharmacy while recovering. In that situation, it’s possible you might be able to claim for fuel costs (and parking fees) linked to those trips.
- Lost Income. When your injuries result in time off work (for recovery or medical appointments), you might lose a portion of your normal income. When that happens, you could ask for the lost income to be paid back.
- Future Lost Income. For more serious cases, where a permanent disability affects your ability to work, there may be a case for requesting future lost income too.
When you speak to our team, they’ll assess what might be claimed as special expenses in your claim.
No Win No Fee Claims For A Food Allergy In A Beefeater Grill Restaurant
No Win No Fee agreements can reduce a lot of the stress associated with hiring a solicitor. They’ll also reduce the financial risks involved with claiming too. Our panel of solicitors works exclusively on a No Win No Fee basis for claims they agree to handle.
For the solicitor, it’s important they check that the claim could be successful before agreeing to such a service. Once they’re happy though, and you agree to proceed, they’ll draw up a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is the contract that’ll be used to fund your claim for your allergic reaction.
The main reasons you’ll want to use a CFA are:
- You won’t be required to send any payment for the claim to begin.
- There will be no solicitor’s charges when the claim is ongoing.
- Your solicitor will not charge you for their fees if your case is lost.
To pay for the work your solicitor carries out, they’ll take a small part of any compensation received during a successful claim. This is called a success fee. It’s limited by law and listed in your agreement so that you know what you’ll pay when the case begins.
If you would like us to assess whether you could use a No Win No Fee service, please discuss your claim with us today.
Contact A Solicitor About Your Case
We hope that this Legal Helpline guide about claims for an allergic reaction after eating in a Beefeater Grill has proved useful. If it has, and you want us to support your claim, please use one of the following methods to contact us:
- Make a call to an advisor who’ll offer free legal advice on 0161 696 9685.
- Email [email protected] with as much information as you can regarding what happened.
- Use the live chat channel to explain your case to a trained online advisor.
- Enquire online and ask us to call back when it’s convenient.
We operate our claims line 7-days a week so you can call when it’s best for you. Our team will assess your claim with you, look at the facts and review your evidence. If they believe your claim has good grounds, you’ll be referred to a personal injury solicitor from our panel. When they take a claim on, they’ll work on a No Win No Fee basis to reduce your financial risk.
References
You’ve come to the end of this Legal Helpline article on claiming for an allergic reaction after eating in a Beefeater Grill. Hopefully, it’s answered any questions you had about your rights to claim for an allergic reaction. To provide you with some more information which might help, we’ve linked to some guides and resources below.
Harvester Food Allergy Claims – A guide similar to this one but concentrating on Harvester restaurants.
Dairy Allergy Claims – Information to help you decide whether you’ll be able to claim for an allergic reaction to dairy.
Claiming For A Tesco Accident – Advice on making a claim against Tesco for injuries sustained in one of their shops.
Anaphylaxis Information – A detailed overview of how to treat and prevent anaphylaxis.
Food Labelling Guidance – Information from the UK government on labelling food correctly.
Types Of Food Allergy – A comprehensive guide, from Allergy UK, on different food allergens.
Guide by BE
Edited by REG