62-Year-Old Woman Contracts Fried Rice Syndrome From Chinese Buffet

A 62-year-old woman has filed a lawsuit against Asian King Buffet in Waxahachie alleging the company was negligent in its handling of food items. Germaine Mobley spent seven days in an intensive care unit after immediately falling ill with a severe case of food poisoning when she dined at the restaurant on June 30, 2016.

Mobley was hospitalized on July 2, 2016, where she was diagnosed with “fried rice syndrome.” She spent the previous two days vomiting and struggling to breathe after her exposure to Bacillus cereus bacteria at the Chinese buffet. Due to the severity of her condition, she was transported to a local hospital by ambulance. Upon their arrival, EMTs placed an oxygen mask on Mobley in an attempt to stabilize her breathing. However, her condition, caused by the restaurant, was so severe that she vomited into the mask and aspirated. She was put on a ventilator for two days. In the months following her hospitalization, Mobley was treated by Cedar Lake Home Health and Hospice. To date, Mobley has acquired almost $150,000 in medical bills.

A majority of food poisoning cases are easily treated at home. However, Mobley’s deteriorating condition made seeking medical attention necessary. In addition, it is often difficult to prove that a restaurant is the cause of food poisoning illnesses.

In Mobley’s case, however, the particular strain of bacteria is easily traceable to the Chinese restaurant she dined before becoming ill.

“Most cases of food poisoning aren’t worth filing a lawsuit over,” Carlson Law Firm Attorney Kathryn Knotts said. “However, Ms. Mobley’s case is out of the norm. She spent several days in the hospital and is saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills as a direct result of Asian King Buffet’s mishandling of food. In addition to her medical bills, she’s lost time that she’ll never get back and is still struggling to recover. She went from being a strong, healthy woman to relying on her family to care for her. There are laws that protect us from eating bad food, Ms. Mobley’s lawsuit is enforcing those laws. Hopefully, it protects the public at large from going through what she’s been through.”

Fried Rice Syndrome is a type of food poisoning caused by the Bacillus cereus bacteria. The bacteria is typically contracted from fried rice dishes that have been sitting at room temperature for hours. Asian King Buffet has at least a five-year history of holding food at improper temperatures, dating back to as early as 2013. The lawsuit alleges that the restaurant has failed to address the long-standing issues.

Hear from attorney Kathryn Knotts as she discusses the case in further detail.

About The Carlson Law Firm

Kathryn Knotts is an award-winning personal injury attorney in Bryan, Texas. The Carlson Law Firm is a Texas-based national law firm committed to providing exceptional legal services in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, dangerous drugs and defective products, mass torts, bankruptcy, family law, criminal defense, military criminal defense, nursing home abuse and consumer protection. The Carlson Law Firm has been successfully representing clients for over 40 years with 12 offices all over Texas.