WASHINGTON — An Arlington, Virginia woman filed a lawsuit Friday against Fig & Olive following a salmonella outbreak that closed the restaurant鈥檚 D.C. location for six days, reports.
Laura Donahue, 36, filed the lawsuit, claiming she became ill days after she dined at the restaurant on Sept. 2. The post reports she had chills, fever, a swollen belly and fainted after running a half-marathon.
She聽said that聽she had a crostini, a cucumber martini and a salad, followed by a truffle mushroom risotto and a dessert crostini.聽鈥淭he people responsible need to be held accountable,鈥� Donahue told The Post. 鈥淭here鈥檚 myself and there鈥檚 the pain 鈥� this is what I can do. This is all I can do.鈥�
聽in order for health officials to determine the source of the outbreak.
The upscale Mediterranean-style restaurant was blamed for at least 10 confirmed cases of salmonella, though more than 200 people may have been sickened. The restaurant health department cleared the restaurant to reopen Wednesday, .
LaQuandra Nesbitt, director of the health department, told WTOP that the menu items suspected聽to be at the root of the outbreak had have been removed from the menu.
The Post reports that Donahue鈥檚 complaint sought damages, but the lawsuit did not specify an amount.
Food attorney Mary Beth Albright tells WTOP these types of聽lawsuits are common.
“Anybody can file a lawsuit,”聽Albright 聽says. “It’s about winning the lawsuit. But in the meantime, Fig &聽Olive has to defend itself, and that takes lawyers and that takes money.”
WTOP鈥檚 Dick Uliano contributed to this report
