Have you suffered symptoms of an allergic reaction after eating at Bella Italia? If you have, and you believe your allergic reaction was due to a breach in the duty of care owed to you by Bella Italia, you could be able to launch a personal injury claim for the harm you’ve suffered due to their negligence.
This guide offers a wealth of information about consumer rights when eating at a restaurant. It includes details of what kinds of situations could lead to a claim if you’ve suffered a food allergy reaction in Bella Italia. We also provide details of the types of compensation you could claim, along with giving you advice on finding a personal injury lawyer to help you begin your claim.
You can click on any of the sections below to learn more about making a claim for an allergic reaction to Bella Italia food, but if you would prefer telephone support and would like to benefit from a free, no-obligation personal injury case check, you can simply call our team on 0333 000 0729 whenever you like.
Jump To A Section
- A Guide To Claiming For A Food Allergy In Bella Italia
- What Is A Food Allergy?
- How Often Do People Suffer From Allergic Reactions?
- I Asked A Restaurant To Not Serve An Allergen
- A Restaurant Ignored A Request To Not Serve An Allergen
- Allergic Reactions Which Were Caused By A Restaurant Acting Negligently
- Looking At Restaurant Customer Rights
- I Didn’t Inform A Restaurant Of My Allergy, Could I Claim Damages?
- Foods And Drinks Which Could Cause You To Have An Allergic Reaction
- Bella Italia And An Allergen Friendly Menu
- Food Allergy In Bella Italia Illness Compensation Calculator
- What Other Types Of Damages Could You Claim?
- No Win No Fee Claims For A Food Allergy In Bella Italia
- How To Contact Legal Helpline Today
- Resources To Help You
A Guide To Claiming For A Food Allergy In Bella Italia
Often, if diagnosed with a food allergy, your doctor would advise you to steer clear of food containing allergens you react to. This may make eating in restaurants a bit of a minefield, but since restaurants have a duty of care towards all customers, including those with food allergies, you would expect to be given accurate allergen info upon request.
You might also expect the restaurant’s website, menu and other printed materials to contain accurate allergen information. You may even request for certain items to be left out when your dish is prepared so that you do not have a reaction to something you are known to be allergic to. But what happens if the restaurant is negligent in providing accurate information or does not listen to your request to leave an item out of your dish?
If you suffer an allergic reaction after eating at Bella Italia for these reasons, you may be able to claim compensation for the harm you’ve suffered, provided you can evidence that the restaurant was at fault.
This guide offers details of what a restaurant’s responsibilities are towards its customers, with a focus on food allergies. We explain more about the type of food allergy in Bella Italia you could suffer, along with providing details of guideline compensation payouts, how to find a personal injury solicitor to assist with your claim and the benefits of getting legal help with making such claims.
What Is A Food Allergy?
Many people in the UK suffer allergies. Some are allergic to tree pollen, others to animal hair, and others, as we explain in this guide, have allergies to certain ingredients found in foods.
A food allergy, like other allergies, occurs when the body mistakenly recognises something that is harmless as a threat. The consequence is an immune system response that could cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from the mildly unpleasant, to those that threaten a person’s life.
What Is An Allergy Or Allergic Reaction To Bella Italia?
There are a variety of common food allergies that could cause an allergic reaction to Bella Italia foods. Some common allergies include:
- Celery allergies
- Cereal allergies
- Dairy allergies
- Egg allergies
- Fish allergies
- Fruit allergies
- Gluten allergies
- Lupin allergies
- Milk allergies
- Mustard allergies
- Nut allergies
- Seafood allergies
- Shellfish allergies
- Soy allergies
- Sulphur dioxide allergies
- Wheat allergies
The reactions you could suffer might vary depending on the type of allergy you have and how severe it is. Some people, for example, could suffer a severe nut allergy that would cause them immediate problems, whereas others could suffer a milk allergy that only leads to mild symptoms that come on overtime.
The main types of allergic reaction after eating at Bella Italia that people could suffer could include:
Anaphylaxis – This is considered a severe reaction and could lead to life-threatening consequences, so if you believe you or someone else is suffering this type of reaction, urgent medical help should be sought. Symptoms could include:
- A feeling of faintness or light-headedness
- Difficulties with breathing
- Wheeziness
- Rapid heartbeat
- Skin that is clammy
- Anxiety/confusion
- Loss of consciousness/collapsing
Other allergy symptoms could also be present, such as hives, vomiting/nausea, swelling and stomach pains.
A Non-IgE allergic reaction – Symptoms could include:
- Cramps
- Being constipated
- Vomiting where diarrhoea is not present
- Dry, cracked itchy or red skin
An IgE allergic reaction – Symptoms could include:
- A feeling of faintness or light-headedness
- Nausea
- Hives
- An itchy/tingly feeling in the mouth
- Vomiting
- Trouble swallowing
- Swelling (angioedema) in the face, throat, body or mouth
- Symptoms similar to hay fever
- Wheezing
Whatever the symptoms you’ve suffered, if you’ve had an allergic reaction after eating at Bella Italia, and the restaurant has been negligent in providing accurate information on the allergen-friendly menu, or staff have not left out an allergen you’ve requested to be omitted, you could make a claim against the restaurant for the harm you’ve suffered. Evidence showing the restaurant’s failings is crucial, so be sure to retain all receipts, packaging or correspondence from the outlet.
How Often Do People Suffer From Allergic Reactions?
Allergy UK’s website offers a variety of statistics relating to allergy sufferers in the UK. Some of the most pertinent of those statistics are reproduced below:
- Around 1/5 of the UK population suffers 1 allergy or more
- Forty-four per cent of adults in Britain have 1 allergy
- Almost half of these sufferers are allergic to more than 1 thing
- In the two decades between 1992 and 2012, admissions to hospital for anaphylaxis jumped 615%
- 2014 saw over 20,000 admissions to hospital with allergies as the primary diagnosis
I Asked A Restaurant To Not Serve An Allergen
Government guidelines state that if a meal could be prepared without an allergen, and a customer requests this, the food service provider should do their best to comply with this request. Therefore, if you are eating at Bella Italia, or have ordered a dish from a Bella Italia delivery service, you should be able to make a request such as:
- No Cheese
- No Tomato
- No Eggs
- No Wheat
- No Oats
- No Fish
- No Milk
- No Nuts
If you request an item from a Bella Italia menu and make it clear that you want it to be prepared without an allergen, the restaurant should aim to do so, and if they cannot, they should advise you of this so that you could choose another dish.
A Restaurant Ignored A Request To Not Serve An Allergen
What happens if you’ve requested a dish from Bella Italia to be prepared without a specific ingredient and they have ignored your request?
In these cases, if this causes you to suffer an allergic reaction after eating at Bella Italia, you could make a claim for compensation if you can prove that Bella Italia ignored your request.
Claims could be made where Bella Italia have failed to comply with your request for food to be prepared with:
- No Cheese
- No Tomato
- No Eggs
- No Wheat
- No Oats
- No Fish
- No Milk
- No Nuts
If you’re unsure as to whether your allergy reaction in Bella Italia could lead to a claim, why not call Legal Helpline today? We’d be happy to offer you a free case assessment and we could also connect you with a personal injury lawyer from our panel who could help you start your claim on a No Win No Fee basis.
Allergic Reactions Which Were Caused By A Restaurant Acting Negligently
To make a claim for an allergic reaction after drinking at Bella Italia or eating there, you would have to prove that the restaurant breached their duty of care towards you as a customer, and that breach caused you harm. Negligence could come in the form of a:
- Failure of the restaurant to provide you with the correct Bella Italia allergy information, on the menu/website, or by a server
- Failure of the restaurant to leave an allergen out of your food that you have specifically requested to be left out
- Failure of the restaurant to inform you that an allergen cannot be left out of your food
- Failure of the restaurant to prevent cross-contamination of your food with an allergen you informed them you were allergic to
Looking At Restaurant Customer Rights
As a customer at any restaurant, you have certain rights. When it comes to the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a restaurant could be held liable for damage, loss or personal injury caused by them selling you a product that is not-as-described or is defective. In terms of food products, this could include:
- Foods containing allergens you’d informed servers you were allergic to
- Foods containing allergens you’d asked to be left out, or that have been cross-contaminated with allergens you’d specifically requested not to be contained in your food
- Foods containing allergens not listed on the menu/website/printed materials supplied by the restaurant
While you could have a right to claim if negligence has caused you to suffer an allergic reaction after eating at Bella Italia, we should mention that there is a personal injury claims time limit for claims like these.
Usually, this is 3 years from the date of the reaction, but if you are claiming on behalf of a child, for example, there could be some differences. If you’d like to know more about the time limit for making such claims, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
I Didn’t Inform A Restaurant Of My Allergy, Could I Claim Damages?
You may think that if you’ve failed to inform Bella Italia that you were an allergy sufferer, you would have no recourse if you suffered an allergic reaction to Bella Italia food, but this might not be the case. If certain specific allergens are not included on the website, menu or other printed materials advertising the food, and you suffer an allergic reaction after eating at Bella Italia, it could be worth seeking legal advice.
Failing To Provide Information On Potential Allergens
While there are a vast number of allergens you could react to, there is a list of common allergens that restaurants and other foodservice providers should ensure are communicated to their customers on menus, printed material and packaging of pre-prepared items. These include:
- Sulphur dioxide/Sulphites
- Soybeans
- Sesame
- Peanuts
- Nuts
- Mustard
- Molluscs
- Milk or lactose
- Lupin
- Fish
- Eggs
- Crustaceans
- Cereals which have gluten in them – e.g. barley, wheat, oats and rye
- Celery (and celeriac)
If you think, for example, you have ordered dairy-free food at Bella Italia as milk or lactose isn’t listed against the food item on the menu, and you suffer an allergic reaction because milk was contained in the dish, if you can show the restaurant was responsible for this failing, you may be able to claim compensation.
Foods And Drinks Which Could Cause You To Have An Allergic Reaction
If you think you may have a food allergy, you could obtain an allergy test to make sure you are aware of your allergens so that you could avoid them. Common allergy tests can be performed to diagnose:
- Celery allergies
- Cereal allergies
- Dairy allergies
- Egg allergies
- Fish allergies
- Fruit allergies
- Gluten allergies
- Lupin allergies
- Milk allergies
- Mustard allergies
- Nut allergies
- Seafood allergies
- Shellfish allergies
- Soy allergies
- Sulphur dioxide allergies
- Wheat allergies
Bella Italia And An Allergen Friendly Menu
Below, we’ve provided details of the dishes on the Bella Italia menu, which is accurate at the time of posting. However, seasonal changes and changes of ingredients could occur, so it is always wise to ensure you check with the restaurant before you order any dish to ensure you don’t consume something you’re allergic to.
Starters
- Sicilian Olives
- Garlic Dough Bites
- Hand-Stretched Flatbread
- Polpette
- Bruschetta
- Funghi Arrosto
- Caprese
- Calamari
- Minestrone Soup
- Gamberi
Pasta
- Pomodoro
- Carbonara
- Bolognese
- Cacio E Pepe
- Funghi Crema Gnocchetti
- Polpette Americano
- Gamberoni Picante
- Pollo Alla Crema
- Marco Polo
- Pollo Pesto
- Traditional Lasagne
Pizza
- Margherita / Queen Margherita
- Campagna
- Gamberoni
- Pollo Vesuvio
- Pepperoni Piccante
- Cotto
- Calzone Carne
Italian Classic
- Salmone Al Forno
Salads
- Insalata Caesar
- Insalata Giardiniera
- Insalata Caprese
Sides
- Fries
- Mixed Salad
- Sweet Potato Fries
Desserts
- Chocolate Brownie
- Tiramisu
- Cookie Dough Al Forno
- Apricot Cheesecake
Food Allergy In Bella Italia Illness Compensation Calculator
Before you go ahead and make a claim for an allergic reaction after eating at Bella Italia, you may wish to use a personal injury claims calculator to find out what level of compensation could be appropriate for your claim.
However, these tools could only give a very rough estimate of your compensation payout, which is why we’ve not included one on this page. All personal injury claims are subject to an assessment of their facts and circumstances, and the evidence submitted with the claim. This evidence would include a medical report from an independent doctor, who you would be required to see as part of the claims process. The report would include details of the extent of your suffering and your prognosis. This evidence could be used to determine how much compensation may be appropriate for your claim.
To give you some indication of how much compensation could be awarded for an allergic reaction, we have produced a table below with figures from the Judicial College Guidelines. This publication offers insight into specific injuries and the guideline compensation brackets for such injuries. These are used by courts and lawyers to determine appropriate compensation settlements for personal injury claims.
What Other Types Of Damages Could You Claim?
Other damages could also be claimed after a food allergy reaction in Bella Italia. These types of damages relate to expenses caused by the allergic reaction and are referred to as special damages. They could include:
- Care costs – if you’ve had a reaction that has led to you requiring care at home with day-to-day tasks, the costs for such care could be included within your claim
- Loss of income – if time off work recovering from your reaction has led you to lose out on some of your income, you could recoup these losses as special damages
- Travel costs – trips to hospital appointments or to visit your lawyer may have caused you to incur costs. These could also be claimed for.
- Medical expenses – you may have had to pay for prescription medicines, or even for counselling if your reaction has affected you mentally. These costs could also be included within a claim.
If you intend to claim for expenses incurred as a result of an allergic reaction after eating at Bella Italia, you should make sure to retain evidence of these expenses. Without evidence, you would not be able to include such costs within your claim.
No Win No Fee Claims For A Food Allergy In Bella Italia
If you’d like professional help when making a claim for a food allergy in Bella Italia, you might be glad to know that you could access assistance from a lawyer without having to pay for their fees upfront. No Win No Fee claims are quite popular. Part of the reason is that you would not be expected to pay anything to your lawyer until such time as your claim had been successfully settled and compensation had been paid.
If you are claiming under No Win No Fee terms, you’d need to sign a Conditional Fee Agreement with your lawyer that would promise to pay a legally capped success fee if your case ended with a payout. This fee is only a small amount; usually, a small proportion of your compensation, and is only payable if your lawyer gets you a settlement.
If your case isn’t successful, and no compensation payout is awarded, you would not have to settle the success fee. You would not have to cover the costs that had been incurred by your lawyer while they were pursuing the claim either.
If you have any questions about No Win No Fee claims or would like us to connect you with a solicitor from our panel working under these terms, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’d be happy to help.
How To Contact Legal Helpline Today
Here at Legal Helpline, we could offer you support and guidance if you’re considering making a claim for an allergic reaction after eating at Bella Italia. Not only could we answer your questions and offer a free case check to see whether your claim is valid, but we could also connect you with a solicitor from our panel who could help you get the compensation you deserve. Getting in touch with us is easy. Simply:
- Call 0333 000 0729
- Complete our contact form.
- E-mail info@legalhelpline.co.uk
- Or, use the Live Chat feature.
However you get in touch, we’re ready to assist.
Resources To Help You
Allergy Advice For Consumers – Find out your rights regarding food allergies here.
Coeliac Disease Information – If you’re searching for advice on your rights as a coeliac, this page may be useful.
Allergic Conditions And How To Live With Them– Living with allergies can mean making some changes to your life. The NHS has produced some guidance on what to consider.
Claiming For Wheat Allergies– Here, we have produced a handy guide to wheat allergy claims.
Allergy Claims FAQs– Read our useful FAQs guide on allergy claims.
Claiming As A Nut Allergy Sufferer – Our guide specific to nut allergy sufferers can be found here.
Guide by JS
Edited by REG
