As things (hopefully) return to normal, eating out is again on the agenda. However, a break from food deliveries might turn out to be anything but enjoyable. Salmonella can be an uninvited guest in some restaurant meals and can produce an illness you won't soon forget.

About Salmonella

While you can become ill from a number of foodborne bad actors, salmonella is an unfortunately common ingredient. Even a simple glass of water on the table before a meal is served can be full of salmonella. Almost any food or beverage can be vulnerable to this type bacteria, which causes a host of uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous aftereffects.

Is It Food Poisoning?

No one wants to imagine becoming ill from the food at a favorite eatery, but if you ingest something that is contaminated with salmonella, you will certainly be feeling the effects anywhere from 8 to 72 hours afterwards. That's a one-to-three-day window of time for the effects of salmonella to make themselves known. Here is what most food poisoning victims experience:

• Abdominal cramps and diarrhea
• Chills and fever
• Nausea and vomiting
• Body aches and pains

What to Do

You should take care of yourself by seeking help, but you should also consider taking legal action against the restaurant. Foodborne illnesses like salmonella can make certain people sick enough to cause severe issues and even death. Your actions could prevent others from becoming ill. Even relatively healthy people could be out of work for days after becoming ill. Take these steps to ensure you both get the care you need and the help you need for a personal injury case:

1. Get medical care right away to ensure you don't become dehydrated. Your doctor can do some blood work to verify the cause of your illness.
2. Save evidence of your illness. That means any takeout containers, restaurant receipts, doctor's bills, and more should be preserved and passed on to your personal injury lawyer.
3. Keep up with your associated expenses. Victims of foodborne contaminants like salmonella may be eligible to receive compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, ruined personal possessions, the restaurant bill, pain and suffering, and more.
4. If you dined with others, contact them to alert them to your illness. Also, contact your local health department and report the issue to them.
5. As soon as you have recovered from your illness, speak to a personal injury lawyer about taking action against the restaurant. Businesses that serve food and beverages owe customers a duty of care. It's their responsibility to ensure safe and healthy dining. Speak to a lawyer today.