A lawsuit was filed Friday on behalf of a teen who alleges he acquired salmonella poisoning from eating a ham and cheese sandwich at a Westlake Village eatery.
The plaintiff, 16-year-old Bryce Harrisberger, is being represented in the Los Angeles Superior Court complaint against Brent’s Deli by his legal guardian. The suit alleges strict product liability, breach of implied warranty and negligence. It seeks unspecified damages.
A Brent’s representative issued a statement in response to the lawsuit. “Brent’s Deli has not been notified of a lawsuit involving Bryce Harrisberger,” deli spokesman Marc Hernandez said. “As a family-run business that serves hundreds of customers daily at our Westlake Village location, the news of even one customer becoming sick as a result of dining at our restaurant is of deep concern. We are committed to delivering our customers high quality meals and service, and this service includes our focus on food safety.”
Hernandez said the deli hires third-party safety consultants, conducts food safety audits and provides extra training to employees.
According to the complaint, the teen ate a sandwich prepared by Brent’s last April 25 and within two days began experiencing severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. During the ensuing days he suffered from other symptoms, including dizziness, sweating, shortness of breath and fatigue, the suit states.
A CT scan showed he had a large abscess on his spleen and he was later diagnosed with salmonella poisoning, according to the lawsuit.
Brent’s had an obligation to patrons to sell food that was untainted, the suit states.
— City News Service