How Much Could I Claim For A Food Allergy In A Pizza Hut?
This guide assesses what could happen after an allergic reaction after eating at Pizza Hut.
If you suffer from a food allergy, for example, you are allergic to dairy, you could be in a position to make a compensation claim in some circumstances. Keeping with the example, if negligence on the part of the restaurant or its employees exposes you to a dairy product unnecessarily, and this triggers your food allergy, then a personal injury solicitor may be able to process a claim for you.
Our advisors are available 24/7 on 0333 000 0729. They’re also ready to reply to you via the live chat on this page. All advice is free. What’s more, if you have evidence of a favourable claim, they could connect you with our panel of solicitors.
Jump To:
- A Guide To Claiming For A Food Allergy At Pizza Hut
- What Is A Food Allergy?
- How Common Are Food Allergies?
- I Asked Pizza Hut Staff To Leave Out A Specified Ingredient
- Pizza Hut Ignored A Request To Leave Out An Ingredient
- Allergic Reactions That Could Be Caused By Restaurants Acting Negligently
- What Rights Do I Have When Dining At A Restaurant?
- I Had Not Told Pizza Hut Of My Allergy, Could I Still Claim Compensation?
- Food That May Cause You To Have An Allergic Reaction
- Allergy Information For The Pizza Hut Menu
- Food Allergy In Pizza Hut Compensation Calculator
- Examples Of Other Damages You Could Claim
- No Win No Fee Claims For A Food Allergy In Pizza Hut
- Consult Legal Helpline
- References
A Guide To Claiming For A Food Allergy At Pizza Hut
In this guide, we explore what you could do following an allergic reaction to Pizza Hut food. You will learn about making a personal injury claim and what No Win No Fee is. However, it’s important to note that not every allergic reaction will result in a compensation claim.
For example, if you weren’t aware of your allergies before eating at a restaurant and symptoms were triggered there, it wouldn’t be the fault of the restaurant. In addition, if you knew of your allergies but didn’t check any allergen information before ordering, you could be responsible for your own injuries.
In this guide, we discuss what could constitute negligence on the part of a restaurant.
One thing that you do need to keep in mind though, is that you must be within the applicable personal injury claims time limit in order to be able to make a claim. This time limit is generally three years from the date of the incident or the date of knowledge. If you need to find out what this time limit is for you, then you can talk to our claims team who will tell you, based on the unique circumstances of your claim.
Allergic Reaction After Eating At Pizza Hut: Our Advisors
Our advisors can also answer any other questions that you have and can explain to you further about the process of using a personal injury lawyer to handle a compensation claim for you. The contact number at the end of this guide will get you through to them.
Our advisors give free legal advice and are available 24/7. You’ll be no obligation to proceed with the services of our panel of lawyers. However, if you have evidence of a solid claim, our advisors could connect you with our panel.
What Is A Food Allergy?
All allergies, including food allergies, are medical conditions whereby your body sees something harmless as a potential threat and triggers a reaction to protect you. This reaction can be quite severe or even fatal in the most extreme cases.
Symptoms of a food allergy can include:
- A red, itchy or painful rash.
- Swelling of your tongue or your throat.
- Itchy eyes.
- Stomach pain.
- Sickness and nausea.
Symptoms of a potentially fatal reaction (anaphylaxis) can include:
- Dizziness and confused thoughts.
- Collapse.
- Difficulty breathing.
If you experience anaphylaxis, you will need emergency medical treatment.
What Are Allergic Reactions To Eating Food At A Pizza Hut?
If you have a food allergy, such as being allergic to gluten or a peanut allergy, visiting Pizza Hut means that you have to make sure that you order food that won’t trigger your allergic reaction. As an allergy sufferer, you should already know what kinds of foods and ingredients to avoid.
In some cases, you might take all of the proper action to keep yourself safe, but a mistake by the restaurant or one of its employees subsequently exposes you to an allergen. If this happens, and the symptoms of a triggered food allergy are the result, then this could be seen as negligence. It could be possible for you to attempt to claim compensation for the harm you suffered because of this negligence.
How Common Are Food Allergies?
When examining some allergy facts, we find that:
- Around 5 to 8% of children in the UK have a food allergy.
- Around 1 to 2% of adults in the UK have a food allergy.
- Estimates put the number of people who have a food allergy in the UK at 2 million. (This doesn’t include food intolerances.)
These numbers go to show how common food allergies are.
I Asked Pizza Hut Staff To Leave Out A Specified Ingredient
There is a certain extent to which we are responsible for our own health, safety and wellbeing. For example, as an allergy sufferer, you would follow the allergy information at Pizza Hut to choose safe food.
But what happens if you want to eat a dish where the problem ingredient could be removed? Well, you might ask the service staff if you can have the dish prepared without it. Sometimes, staff will agree to this. In other cases, it might not be possible.
If you have evidence of a valid claim following an allergic reaction after eating at Pizza Hut, why not get in touch?
Pizza Hut Ignored A Request To Leave Out An Ingredient
If you do ask the serving staff if you can have a specific item from the menu removed from a meal, they don’t have to say yes. They can say ‘no’ if it’s not possible to remove the ingredient. You may then be able to choose another meal.
If they do agree to your request, and then subsequently it is not carried out, this could mean that you are exposed to an allergen that triggers an allergic reaction. In such cases, you could be in a position to claim for your suffering.
Allergic Reactions That Could Be Caused By Restaurants Acting Negligently
There are many ways that negligence on the part of a restaurant and its staff can result in you experiencing the symptoms of a triggered food allergy. And this includes:
- The cook/chef adding an ingredient to a dish that wasn’t in the allergen information. For example, sprinkling sesame seeds on the food, triggering your sesame allergy.
- There is a lack of care in the kitchen, allowing allergens to cross-contaminate and there is no available information regarding the risk of cross-contamination.
- The allergen information provided was wrong and missed an allergen ingredient that was present in the food.
- You are served a meal that was meant for another customer and contained an allergen you were told would be removed for you.
These are just examples of some of the shapes that negligence could take. If someone else’s negligence results in you suffering the symptoms of a triggered food allergy, you could have a valid claim.
What Rights Do I Have When Dining At A Restaurant?
Arguably the main legislation that relates to food safety, including keeping people safe from food that might cause people harm (such as allergic reactions), is the Food Safety Act 1990. The Act gives food businesses certain responsibilities:
- They shouldn’t remove anything from food, include anything or treat food in a way that could be damaging to the consumer’s health.
- The food should be of the quality, nature or substance that fulfils the expectations of consumers.
- The food should be advertised, labelled and presented in a way that isn’t misleading or false.
When these rules and regulations are not followed, it could result in a triggered allergy. If you can prove that the restaurant’s negligence caused your injuries, then you could be able to claim compensation.
I Had Not Told Pizza Hut Of My Allergy, Could I Still Claim Compensation?
We are all expected to care for our own health and safety to a reasonable extent. However, there is no reason for you to tell the staff at a restaurant that you have a food allergy unless you actually need to. For example, if a server asks you if you suffer from any allergies, you should be honest so that they can help protect your health and safety.
Alternatively, if you’re unsure as to whether food has allergens in it, you should ask a member of staff or refer to the allergy menu. However, the allergy menu for Pizza Hut should have all the information you need.
If you don’t tell a restaurant about your allergy and follow their written allergen guidance correctly, but suffer an allergic reaction anyway, the restaurant could be liable. That’s because the allergen information provided should be accurate and not cause you to suffer.
If you do tell the staff about your allergy, and they offer you Pizza Hut allergy advice because of this, then this verbal advice should be accurate. If it isn’t and you rely on this advice to order food that triggers your food allergy reaction, this could be seen as negligence. A claim may be possible in such cases.
This guide aims to help you understand what you could do following an allergic reaction after eating at Pizza Hut. However, if you have any unanswered questions, why not reach out?
When Restaurants Fail To Warn Customers Of Allergens
Part of the rules and regulations relating to food allergies and food safety relates to the kind of information that you should be provided with. However, errors can occur. For example:
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- The server may advise you incorrectly about an allergen not being present in the food.
- The server may agree to remove an allergen but fail to tell you when they’re unable to remove it and serve you it anyway.
- The allergen menu may be incorrect and not advise of allergens that are in the food.
- There may be a risk of cross-contamination, but there isn’t any way for you to gain knowledge of this, despite your best efforts.
If you suffered an allergic reaction because of any of the above, you may be able to make an allergic reaction claim. Why not reach out to us to find out?
Food That May Cause You To Have An Allergic Reaction
What are the 14 allergen foods? In the UK, there are 14 major allergens that fall under particular food safety rules and regulations. These allergens can be found in common, everyday things we eat. They are:
- Celery
- Cereals containing gluten
- Crustaceans
- Eggs
- Fish
- Lupin
- Milk
- Molluscs
- Mustard
- Nuts
- Peanuts
- Sesame seeds
- Soya
- Sulphur dioxide (sulphites)
Food businesses should give information if these ingredients are used in any food they sell or provide. For example, restaurants might give this information via a menu or online. And if you ask a staff member for allergen information, they should be able to tell you or point you in the right direction to find it.
Allergy Information For The Pizza Hut Menu
Below, we provide some allergy information for Pizza Hut. However, this is not the full allergen menu and the information was all up to date at the time we published this guide.
Pizza Bases
- Pan dough
- Vegetable oil
- Mozzarella cheese
- Cornmeal
- String cheese
Sauce
- BBQ sauce
- Red wine gravy
Meat Toppings
- Pepperoni
- Seasoned minced beef
- Spicy pork
- Chicken and chorizo mix
- Beef and stuffing mix
Fish
- Anchovies
- Tuna
Sides
- Mixed leaf salad
- Garlic bread
- Cheesy garlic bread
- Potato wedges
- Doritos cheesy nachos
- Cheese triangles
- Breaded chicken strips
Food Allergy In Pizza Hut Compensation Calculator
The below compensation table contains figures from the Judicial College Guidelines. Solicitors use these guidelines to help them when valuing injuries. The guidelines contain recommended awards based on the severity and nature of varying injuries.
We’ve included these figures to help you understand how your injuries might be valued in a personal injury claim.
| Problem With Health | Possible Damages | How Severe? | Other Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illness/Damage Resulting from Non-traumatic Injury | £8,950 to £18,020 | Serious but short-lived (ii) | Medical treatment would be needed initially to treat the main symptoms. Recovery would happen within four weeks, but there may be symptoms that linger. |
| Illness/Damage Resulting from Non-traumatic Injury | £860 to £3,710 | Varying degrees of disabling pain (iv) | Suffering continues for some days or weeks. |
| Illness/Damage Resulting from Non-traumatic Injury | £3,710 to £8,950 | Significant discomfort (iii) | Admitted to hospital for a number of days with symptoms continuing for a number of weeks but an entire recovery within one or two years. |
| Illness/Damage Resulting from Non-traumatic Injury | £36,060 to £49,270 | Severe (i) | Admitted for hospital treatment for some weeks or days with a severe impact on the ability to enjoy life and work. |
If you can’t see your injuries in the compensation table above, why not get in touch? Our advisors give free estimates of claims and you won’t be under any obligation to proceed with our services.
Examples Of Other Damages You Could Claim
When personal injury claims are won, you could receive a settlement made up of two types of damages.
Potential Compensation For An Allergic Reaction After Eating At Pizza Hut?
General damages compensate you for the physical harm caused by the allergic reaction the restaurant was responsible for. They are calculated based on contributors such as the level of pain suffered, the kind of treatment you went through and whether there will be long term issues.
In order to prove general damages, you would attend a medical assessment. An independent medical professional would assess your injuries. The purpose of this assessment is to:
- Prove that your injuries were triggered or worsened by the allergic reaction caused by a restaurant’s negligence.
- Assess the severity of your injuries.
The medical professional would then create a report and that could be used to help value your injuries.
Special damages compensate you for financial loss caused by the allergic reaction. To claim back expenses already incurred, you will need to provide evidence. Special damages might cover:
- Out of pocket expenses such as prescription costs.
- Care costs, if the allergic reaction meant someone provided gracious care or care you paid for.
- Lost income if you had to take unpaid leave while you recovered.
In order to claim special damages, you would need proof. This can include bills, receipts or bank statements relating to the injury, for example.
Our team will be happy to discuss what kinds of damages you could claim if you give them a quick call.
No Win No Fee Claims For A Food Allergy In Pizza Hut
When you use a solicitor to make a No Win No Fee claim, it means:
- No initial solicitor’s fee to start the claim.
- No solicitor fees during the claim.
- There are no solicitor fees if the claim fails.
If you do win your No Win No Fee claim, a modest success fee would be collected by your solicitor. This is legally capped to a small percentage and is taken out of the compensation, only after it comes through. It’s aimed to recompense the solicitor for their hard work. In addition, you’d know what the success fee percentage is before you agree to anything.
Consult Legal Helpline
Our advisors are available 24/7. What’s more, they give free legal advice and you won’t be under any obligation to proceed with the services of our panel of lawyers. Want to get in touch?:
- Contact us with your query.
- Give us a call on 0333 000 0729.
- Use our live chat to get instant answers.
An expert will evaluate your claim for you, and tell you how we can be of assistance.
References
You can read these guides for further information:
FAQs: Allergic Reaction Claims
These other websites could also be worth checking:
Allergen Guidance For Food Businesses
Thank you for reading our guide exploring what you could do following an allergic reaction after eating at Pizza Hut.
Written by MW
Edited by RV
