Why Wendy’s Might Have To Fork Over $50k To A Customer

Anyone who’s ever suffered a foodborne illness will tell you just how nightmarish an experience it was. Hours spent keeled over, grabbing their stomach, fighting off extreme nausea, and basically spending a full day (or two) within a few steps of a bathroom. It’s one of those experiences that lives with them forever, and it can do so much mental damage they’ll never even think about eating that kind of food ever again. Yea, it’s that permanently scarring.

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As much as we don’t like to think about it, every time we dine out, we are putting our bodies at risk. Sure, restaurants have health codes they need to abide by, but that doesn’t guarantee we’ll eat our meal and walk away feeling pristine. Fast food spots in particular get a bad rap for potential food poisoning, as the quality of the ingredients used by the employees sometimes isn’t as high as more upscale restaurants. Unfortunately, one Chicago woman who ate at Wendy’s learned the hard way that no one is safe from food poisoning and it might set the chain back a pretty penny. 

A Side Order Of Sickness

When 68-year-old Roxie Ellis Douglas used DoorDash to order up Wendy’s, she had no idea she was in for a heck of a lot more than just the double cheeseburger and baked potato she received. After eating the meal, she started to feel terrible, and it wasn’t just a normal upset stomach. She says the food contained Campylobacter, a brutal bacterium that causes severe foodborne sickness caused from eating undercooked meat and unpasteurized milk, and she quickly slapped Wendy’s with a lawsuit. 

Now, Roxie didn’t just need brief medical intervention to help with the illness. The total cost of her medical bills so far have reached around $93,000, which is absolutely staggering. She had no idea her Wendy’s order would potentially lead to bankruptcy, so she’s attempting to sue the fast food chain for more than $50,000 to help with the medical costs. In the suit, Roxie says the Wendy’s, located at 8645 S. Stony Island Ave. in the city of Chicago, failed to follow basic health protocols when it came to stocking the ingredients and it was the chain’s responsibility to issue a warning that the food was potentially dangerous to consume. 

Waiting On Wendy’s Response

Wendy’s has not issued a statement over this lawsuit as of yet. We’d like to think the chain will help Roxie handle at least a large portion of her medical bills, considering how much money it rakes in every year. But, either way, let this story act as a warning to everyone who eats out at restaurants. You never know when and where a foodborne illness will strike.