Wednesday, April 22, 2009

It's not our fault you can't prove it

So on Monday evening I bought a sandwich wrap and yoghurt to-go from a rather atas nearby sandwich shop, brought it back to the office and devoured it inside of 15 minutes.

8.5 hours later, I was warded in a hospital for food poisoning and pre-mature contractions.

I just spent 2 days in the hospital with a needle in my left hand, and a concoction of antibiotics, dextrose solution and saline being drip-fed into my vein. Every 2 - 3 hours, a timer would go off and would continue until a nurse came to change the drip. Therefore, every 2 - 3 hours, I would wake up, night and day. I was not permitted to eat or drink for 18 hours.

After my discharge, I called the sandwich shop to let them know about the problem, and to ask them to please reimburse me for the hospital bill. I told them about the timeline since eating the food and getting the symptoms, the doctor's findings and the doctor's view as to the most likely and probable cause. I also told them about how the quality and colour of the output matched the quality and colour of the input.

They gave me a long description of their food safety procedures. Going by their account, no one could ever get food poisoning after eating at their establishment. They suggested that I should look to other possible sources of funding for my hospital bill. They indicated as a gesture of good faith that I could possibly look to claiming on their public liability insurance, but would need to provide a full medical report and all findings to their insurer. I would probably also need to deal with their insurer directly. Finally, there would be no guarantee of a successful claim, since I was unlikely to be able to prove that they were the cause of the problem.

They were apologetic about the fact that I had almost miscarried. However, it was likely not caused by them. However, my complaint would go through the proper procedures and would be responded to shortly.

Munch
112 Robinson Road
#01-01 HB Robinson
tel. 223 5197
Open 8am to 8pm

They can treat this as my food review.

37 Comments:

At 7:16 PM, Anonymous gena said...

Oh, don't stop there. Drop a few thousand flyers around the neighbourhood for good measure. Just don't get caught with said flyers in your possession.

 
At 7:46 PM, Blogger Indiana said...

I hope you got the insurance details.

And instead of flyers, I would be continuing this review on as many websites as you can.

Glad you are ok.

 
At 9:05 PM, Anonymous Beelala said...

The crowds at Munch has been increasing though...

Anyway... try Simply Sandwich next time. It's better. Then Sandwich Shop.

 
At 9:11 PM, Blogger expat@large said...

There's this great rojak place in Geylang I've heard about...

 
At 3:02 AM, Blogger Berry Shopkeeper said...

thank god both of you are ok though.

reimbursing your hospitalisation bills will only be a slap on the wrist for them... *sigh*

 
At 9:58 AM, Blogger JesuaFreak said...

*phew* at least both of u r safe..

well. i will help u plug your food review.

They ought to be suspended lo.

 
At 10:13 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Did you check with NEA what rating they were given for hygiene? :D

Hey, I used to buy sandwiches at Munch! So much for atas salmon sandwiches!

 
At 12:42 PM, Anonymous inex said...

I'm just glad to hear you are ok.

 
At 2:39 PM, Anonymous cheryl said...

Really glad to hear that you and the baby are ok.

But surely complaining on a blog can't be the only action you can take against them for giving you food poisoning. That's shocking. And quite disheartening too.

 
At 10:54 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

lets see ... how would I do this.
1) Write to NEA with your doctor's findings.
2) ST, LHZB, Berita Harian, Today, My Paper, Tamil Murasu.
3)When they call you back this time you will ask for compensation not only for the hospital bill but for emotional trauma, opportunity costs for income lost.

But you are a big gal ... you already know these things ...

Glad you and baby are fine.

 
At 1:26 PM, Anonymous else said...

i read your blog whenever i feel the need to decompress or simply a laugh. and it never disappoints. i'm sure there are probably many others out there (from lurkers anonymous) who appreciate the lovely rants/moments of insanity/memories all rolled into one easy click for smoot. so erm, thank you. =)

 
At 11:28 PM, Anonymous elle said...

It's good to know your baby is safe. I nearly lost mine to food poisoning 9 years ago after eating oyters and shell fish at the Ritz Carlton buffet.......stupid me did not think about making a claim!

 
At 1:38 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

oh dear...glad you are fine...Munch is my favorite salad place...will think twice about going now

 
At 9:09 PM, Anonymous cakie said...

WILL SEND THIS TOO ALL MY FRIENDS!!

such buttholes!!

 
At 1:38 AM, Blogger -ben said...

Ow, I so love the last line.

'Glad you're okay.

 
At 4:14 PM, Anonymous C said...

Res ipsa loquitur?

Thank God baby's safe n hope u're alright by now. Take care!

 
At 1:14 PM, Blogger noshie said...

Dear Jennifer,

We are glad that the baby and your self are in good health. We are sorry to hear that you were hospitalised.

Since your complaint, the NEA has inspected the premises and found nothing wrong with our food practices. You may refer to Mr Sathi for further information.

As promised, we forwarded your claim to our insurers as they will be in the best position to ascertain liability. You mentioned also that you ate at a hawker centre earlier at 1.30pm on the day of the incident, and home cooked food later on. Our insurers will look at these circumstances as well as the fact that you took away the wrap and consumed it outside of the store premises when evaluating your claim.

The duck is prepared fresh every day and on the day of the incident, a duck salad was also prepared for sale. Conservatively, at least 20 customers must have consumed duck from the same batch. None of them have come back to us thus far.

We hope this clarifies the issues you raised in your blog. We wish you and your baby good health.


Kind regards

Edwin Ng
for
MUNCH

 
At 11:10 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

are you sure it wasn't the hawker food that gave you poisoning? food poisoning usually takes a couple of hours to act up.. i empathise with your situation but perhaps it wouldn't be that fair to put all the blame on them either!

 
At 10:58 AM, Blogger HairyDonut said...

I have to say I am speechless.

Of course it can be said that anything can cause food poisoning, or symptoms that could present as food poisoning. It could come from the water, the air, have been transmitted by physical contact, vector, etc.

Of course it can also be said that the only way to prove conclusively that I got food poisoning from Munch is if I can also prove that I neither ate nor drank anything for the 24 - 48 hours prior to, or after, the said wrap/ sandwich and yoghurt. Naturally, by that time, both the baby and myself would either be dead or hospitalised for a host of other reasons and the issue of a little food poisoning would be moot.

The real issue is this. Did I have the food poisoning so that I could claim for my hospital bill, or do I have a claim for my hospital bill because I got food poisoning? Also, what is the appropriate assessment of my claim against Munch? Why did I not mention or ask for 2 days of lost earnings at $600 per hour, average of 5.5 hours per day? Why did I keep the claim to a mere reimbursement of expenses which I have already paid, and not the rest of my foreseeable damages?

By way of pure statistics, one would usually get food poisoning within 6 - 8 hours after consumption of the meal. This takes into account the 3 to 4 hours for the stomach contents to move into the small intestine and for food and bacterial absorption to commence. It was established in the Geylang Serai case.

Finally, it would be interesting to see the timelines involved. 20 people eat duck at a certain point in time. They do not get food poisoning. Does this prove that the duck will never cause food poisoning, even with the passage of time? Will the duck meat never decompose? Will it never be tainted by bacteria? Did the 20 people come at lunchtime or dinnertime? Between lunchtime and dinnertime, could it possibly be said that nothing could possibly have contaminated the duck meat?

 
At 11:22 AM, Anonymous C said...

Moral of the story - Do not argue with a lawyer. They would have thought of all possibilities of arguable facts before they speak. So there u have it.

In addition to posting it on her blog, Smoot shld have called the Wanbao hotline too. Who knows she might get herself a $50 voucher for providing "news", as well as put pressure on Munch.

Oh, I'm so evil. Hahahaha...

 
At 4:57 PM, Anonymous Earthtone said...

It's great news that you and baby are fine ! That's the most important thing. Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

 
At 11:55 PM, Blogger knobby said...

yikes. just saw this. glad you're okay.

 
At 12:56 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Love your blog, never been to Munch. Am very glad to hear that both you and baby are well.

But I'm also a bit puzzled why a food vendor should pay for your hospitalization bills on pure statistics of digestion alone, especially if you've also noted that it will be hard to prove conclusively that the food from Munch was definitely responsible. Surely in all fairness, we would want to be certain that someone is specifically guilty before requesting that they pay up, especially since the symptoms of food poisoning also overlap with those of gastrointestinal infections?

Might the issue then become "I am claiming from Munch because they represent the best chance of reimbursement compared to a hawker stall?" Munch can certainly consider reimbursing your claim on some nebulous notion of customer service and goodwill, but may be wary of whether that would be considered an admission of guilt on their part. Maybe you should consider following up with the NEA inspectors to see if there's anything else that you can use to build your case on?

 
At 11:47 PM, Blogger marke said...

Smoot - love your blog (just quirky enough to touch my funny bone somehow!)

But not this post!... that must have been a frightening experience with a baby to worry about, I'm so glad you are both OK.

.. remembering my micro lectures ... the onset is pretty well related to the pathogen ... your Doc may help pin it down.

Here is a good site:
http://www.ccc.govt.nz/Health/foods3.asp

eg:
C perfringens onset 8 to 22 hrs, usually 10 or 12.

eg salmonella 6 to 72, usually 12 to 36 hours.

etc

 
At 12:38 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Genial post and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you as your information.

 
At 1:59 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

[url=http://seghan.ru/go.php?sid=2][img]http://banners.servized.com/current/gif/ed_720x90_1.gif[/img][/url]

[url=http://old-drugstore.net/]What is/are Zovirax Tablets?[/url]
What are acyclovir tablets or capsules?
ACYCLOVIR (Zovirax®) treats standard types of viral infections, specifically herpes infections. Acyclovir
intent not cure herpes infections; it see fit help the sores heal faster and expropriate to ease the pain or discomfort.
Sometimes acyclovir is given to help bar the infection from coming back. Acyclovir also treats shingles
and chickenpox infections. Generic acyclovir tablets and capsules are available.

What should I tell my healthiness care provider before I gain possession of this medicine?
They destitution to recollect if you have any of these conditions:

•dehydration
•neurological blight
•kidney disease
•seizures (convulsions)
•an unprecedented or allergic retaliation to acyclovir, ganciclovir, valacyclovir, valganciclovir, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
•significant or disquieting to get pregnant
•breast-feeding



[url=http://best-drugstore.aoaoaxxx.ru/][img]http://i079.radikal.ru/0910/b9/3f666eb40896.jpg[/img][/url]
























[url= ]Zovirax indiaZovirax free sample [/url]
Zovirax samplesZovirax soft tabs
[url= ]lilly ZoviraxZovirax oral [/url]
Zovirax no sense of passionZovirax india pharmacy
[url= ]Zovirax on linefree samples of Zovirax [/url]
Zovirax effettiversus Zovirax
[url= ]where to buy Zoviraxcheapest Zovirax [/url]
Zovirax and levitraZovirax 10mg
[url= ]Zovirax one dayoverdosing on Zovirax [/url]
Zovirax genericodrugs Zovirax
[url= ]online drugs generic Zovirax overnightZovirax icos lilly [/url]
Zovirax newsZovirax review
[url= ]purchase Zovirax Canadapurchase Zovirax CA [/url]
purchase Zovirax Albertapurchase Zovirax British Columbia
[url= ]purchase Zovirax Manitobapurchase Zovirax New Brunswick [/url]
purchase Zovirax Newfoundlandpurchase Zovirax Labrador
[url= ]purchase Zovirax Nova Scotiapurchase Zovirax Ontario [/url]
purchase Zovirax Prince Edward Islandpurchase Zovirax Quebec
[url= ]purchase Zovirax Saskatchewanpurchase Zovirax Northwest Territories [/url]
purchase Zovirax Nunavutpurchase Zovirax Yukon

 
At 8:22 AM, Anonymous cheap public liability insurance said...

wow great i have read many articles about this topic and everytime i learn something new i dont think it will ever stop always new info , Thanks for all of your hard work!

 
At 10:27 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

oZzy moved away earlier, I miss his cock, and i am always hungry
for intercourse.
FUCK MY PUSSY!

my site hcg injections
Also see my web site > hcg injections

 
At 8:24 AM, Blogger oakleyses said...

louis vuitton outlet online, nike air max, michael kors outlet online, longchamp outlet online, kate spade handbags, jordan shoes, true religion outlet, michael kors outlet online, gucci handbags, nike air max, coach purses, coach outlet, polo ralph lauren outlet, tory burch outlet, true religion, oakley sunglasses, oakley vault, kate spade outlet online, chanel handbags, tiffany jewelry, ray ban outlet, michael kors outlet online, coach outlet, ray ban sunglasses, christian louboutin shoes, prada outlet, longchamp handbags, louis vuitton handbags, prada handbags, nike free, longchamp outlet, tiffany and co jewelry, polo ralph lauren, louis vuitton outlet, christian louboutin outlet, michael kors outlet online, burberry outlet online, louis vuitton, burberry outlet online, coach outlet store online, red bottom shoes, nike shoes, cheap oakley sunglasses, christian louboutin, michael kors outlet, louis vuitton outlet, michael kors outlet store

 
At 8:33 AM, Blogger oakleyses said...

wedding dresses, instyler ionic styler, mcm handbags, jimmy choo shoes, uggs outlet, uggs on sale, herve leger, canada goose outlet, babyliss pro, ugg, valentino shoes, canada goose outlet, nfl jerseys, soccer jerseys, ugg soldes, beats headphones, nike huarache, reebok shoes, mac cosmetics, p90x workout, vans outlet, marc jacobs outlet, canada goose, chi flat iron, mont blanc pens, insanity workout, lululemon outlet, nike trainers, celine handbags, ghd, birkin bag, asics shoes, longchamp, giuseppe zanotti, roshe run, rolex watches, ugg boots, north face jackets, canada goose outlet, abercrombie and fitch, new balance outlet, soccer shoes, north face outlet, ferragamo shoes, bottega veneta, hollister, ugg outlet

 
At 11:53 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

huangqihang0529fitflops outlet
michael kors outlet
pandora jewelry
burberry sale
kate spade outlet
tory burch handbags
fitflops sale clearance
michael kors
kate spade handbags
tory burch shoes
hollister clothing
hollister clothing store
soccer jerseys
christian louboutin sale
air max 90
coach outlet online
chanel online shop
true religion sale
pandora charms
ray ban sunglasses
ray ban sunglasses
coach outlet online
chanel outlet
true religion jeans
oakley sunglasses
gucci outlet online
cheap jerseys
prada outlet
coach outlet store online
qi

 
At 10:15 AM, Blogger oakleyses said...

michael kors, prada handbags, polo ralph lauren outlet, nike air max, cheap oakley sunglasses, longchamp outlet, ray ban sunglasses, michael kors outlet, ugg boots, tory burch outlet, louboutin, gucci outlet, burberry outlet online, michael kors outlet, jordan shoes, louis vuitton, louboutin outlet, replica watches, nike air max, louis vuitton, oakley sunglasses, replica watches, tiffany jewelry, prada outlet, nike outlet, kate spade outlet, louis vuitton, tiffany and co, polo ralph lauren outlet, oakley sunglasses, nike free, oakley sunglasses, burberry, ray ban sunglasses, christian louboutin outlet, ugg boots, louboutin shoes, michael kors outlet, chanel handbags, ray ban sunglasses, uggs on sale, longchamp, longchamp outlet, oakley sunglasses, michael kors outlet, michael kors outlet

 
At 10:18 AM, Blogger oakleyses said...

coach outlet, air max, air jordan pas cher, north face, lululemon, abercrombie and fitch, sac guess, vanessa bruno, lacoste pas cher, michael kors, ray ban uk, hollister, ralph lauren pas cher, nike air max, oakley pas cher, coach factory outlet, nike roshe run, true religion jeans, nike free run uk, coach purses, nike blazer, tn pas cher, coach outlet, michael kors, kate spade handbags, nike air max, nike air max, timberland, true religion jeans, nike free, ray ban pas cher, converse pas cher, north face, burberry, ralph lauren uk, nike roshe, true religion outlet, mulberry, true religion jeans, air force, vans pas cher, new balance pas cher, michael kors, louboutin pas cher, hollister pas cher, longchamp pas cher, hogan, michael kors, sac longchamp, hermes

 
At 10:21 AM, Blogger oakleyses said...

ray ban, hollister, nike huarache, ghd, vans, asics running shoes, hollister, wedding dresses, insanity workout, converse outlet, hollister, north face outlet, abercrombie and fitch, new balance, beats by dre, nike roshe, oakley, ralph lauren, vans shoes, chi flat iron, longchamp, soccer shoes, louboutin, bottega veneta, celine handbags, giuseppe zanotti, birkin bag, babyliss, nike trainers, p90x workout, nfl jerseys, nike air max, valentino shoes, herve leger, lululemon, jimmy choo shoes, mont blanc, timberland boots, ferragamo shoes, gucci, mac cosmetics, nike air max, reebok shoes, iphone 6 cases, converse, north face outlet, mcm handbags, soccer jerseys, instyler, baseball bats

 
At 11:47 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

www1029



ultra boost 3.0
coach outlet
lacoste polo
christian louboutin shoes
ralph lauren polo
jordans
soccer shoes
jordan 8
moncler jackets
canada goose outlet




 
At 11:02 AM, Blogger 5689 said...

zzzzz2018.11.6
coach factory outlet
coach outlet
coach outlet
nike outlet
jordans
adidas outlet
coach outlet
reebok outlet
ralph lauren polo
tod's outlet

 
At 10:16 AM, Blogger 5689 said...

zzzzz2018.11.15
ralph lauren
ralph lauren polo
true religion jeans outlet
canada goose outlet
jordan clothing
coach outlet factory
ugg boots
true religion
canada goose jackets
basketballl shoes

 

Post a Comment

<< Home