A Florida resident is suing a restaurant chain for serving allegedly contaminated food that caused severe illness. Julie Duncan filed the complaint against Grand Zeal, LLC in the Circuit Court of Pinellas County, Florida on August 20, 2024.
According to the court documents, Julie Duncan visited a Church's Chicken restaurant operated by Grand Zeal, LLC on June 18, 2023. She purchased a meal consisting of chicken and biscuits. Shortly after consuming the food, she noticed it appeared undercooked and contained blood. Duncan soon became violently ill with severe stomach pains, vomiting, and diarrhea. Her condition persisted into the next day, necessitating medical attention.
Duncan's lawsuit claims that Grand Zeal, LLC failed to maintain proper food storage protocols and did not ensure their employees followed health and safety standards. The complaint alleges that the company knew or should have known about these issues but neglected to address them. "Defendant breached its duty to Plaintiff by failing to properly maintain, store, and package its food," states the lawsuit.
The plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages exceeding $50,000 for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and loss of earnings. She demands a jury trial for all triable issues.
Representing Julie Duncan are attorneys Christopher J. Steinhaus and Lance C. Rudzinski from RTRLAW in Orlando. The case is being presided over by Judge Ken Burke under Case Number 24-003718-CI.