Following in the footsteps of Chipotle Mexican Grill, upwards of 30 people fell ill at a local Harrisville, Rhode Island restaurant. Wright’s Farm Restaurant, a staple of the town’s dining scene for several years, is now closed until March 24th for investigation.
Shortly after the initial story of customers falling ill in the establishment, the RI Department of Public Health determined the Norovirus to be the main cause. Norovirus symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and headaches, all of which are consistent with those who fell ill. Others also experienced a fever and body aches.
While the samples collected tested positive for the Norovirus, it remains unclear if the virus originated at Wright’s Farm Restaurant. If the Norovirus did originate at the popular dining establishment, Wright’s Farm could be held liable for its customers’ illness.
Frank Galleshaw, the restaurant’s owner, issued a statement on March 17th:
“After this week’s incident, we are taking every measure to ensure the safety of our guests. We serve more than 500,000 customers annually and in the 44 years of owning and operating Wright’s Farm Restaurant, we have never experienced an incident like this. Out of an abundance of caution, we will remain closed to continue a thorough, ongoing sanitization and cleaning process. We will reopen for business on Thursday, March 24th…”
As a reminder, Attorney Wayne Resmini handles food poisoning cases for clients throughout Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts. Attorney Resmini recently helped clients who fell ill at a Massachusetts restaurant win a $400,000 settlement. If you encounter food poisoning at a local restaurant, bar or even food truck, request a free consultation with Attorney Resmini today!