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Sidney couple suing restaurant
By ROGER HOLSINGER, Assistant Editor06/22/2007
SIDNEY - A Sidney family is suing a restaurant, accusing staff of serving food that was intentionally contaminated by an employee.
According to documents filed in the District Court of Cheyenne County, food prepared and presented to Keith Andrew, his wife and family had allegedly been urinated and spit on by an employee of a Taco Bell/Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. In addition, the suit alleges, when the management of the restaurant was notified, nothing was allegedly done and the food was served.
The lawsuit is being filed by Keith and Lori Andrew against Mid Plains Food & Lodging Inc., which is based out of North Platte.
Representing the Andrew family is Scottsbluff attorney Maren Chaloupka.
According to the complaint, on Oct. 29, 2005, the Andrew family went to the restaurant to purchase an evening meal and ordered Taco Bell products. Keith Andrew is employed as a police officer for the Sidney Police Department. The lawsuit accuses an employee of the restaurant, Casey Diedrich, of urinating and spitting in the food that was to be served to the Andrew family.
The complaint states that Diedrich's actions were reported to management by other employees while the Andrew family was still in the restaurant but management "refused" to inform the family of the tainted food items.
The complaint alleges that prior to the incident, the employees of the restaurant kept "special servings" of contaminated food reserved for law enforcement officers. It alleges that employees at the restaurant "maintained a particular serving pan" just for use in creating "special servings" of tainted food.
The complaint alleges that management of the business was aware of this practice, "but did nothing that could be reasonably calculated to protect its customers from this practice."
According to Chaloupka, Diedrich was prosecuted, and pled guilty this year to a misdemeanor charge of the Nebraska Pure Food Act.
"Local business owners depend on law enforcement to protect their businesses and their employees. One would hope that in return, local businesses would take some reasonable steps to protect police officers from their own employees," said Chaloupka.
Chaloupka states in the complaint that the restaurant was negligent as it failed to properly supervise its employees; failed to properly discipline its employees; failed to protect its customers, including the Andrew family even though they were aware of the practice of adding bodily fluids to food that was to be served to law enforcement personnel.
After eating the contaminated food, one of the Andrew children had to be hospitalized on Oct. 29, 2005, and was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and dehydration as a probable result of food contamination. Another child also became ill after eating the contaminated food.
The family is seeking damages for current and future medical bills as well as physical and mental harm.
Courtesy of the Star-Herald, Scottsbluff, NE
By ROGER HOLSINGER, Assistant Editor06/22/2007
SIDNEY - A Sidney family is suing a restaurant, accusing staff of serving food that was intentionally contaminated by an employee.
According to documents filed in the District Court of Cheyenne County, food prepared and presented to Keith Andrew, his wife and family had allegedly been urinated and spit on by an employee of a Taco Bell/Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. In addition, the suit alleges, when the management of the restaurant was notified, nothing was allegedly done and the food was served.
The lawsuit is being filed by Keith and Lori Andrew against Mid Plains Food & Lodging Inc., which is based out of North Platte.
Representing the Andrew family is Scottsbluff attorney Maren Chaloupka.
According to the complaint, on Oct. 29, 2005, the Andrew family went to the restaurant to purchase an evening meal and ordered Taco Bell products. Keith Andrew is employed as a police officer for the Sidney Police Department. The lawsuit accuses an employee of the restaurant, Casey Diedrich, of urinating and spitting in the food that was to be served to the Andrew family.
The complaint states that Diedrich's actions were reported to management by other employees while the Andrew family was still in the restaurant but management "refused" to inform the family of the tainted food items.
The complaint alleges that prior to the incident, the employees of the restaurant kept "special servings" of contaminated food reserved for law enforcement officers. It alleges that employees at the restaurant "maintained a particular serving pan" just for use in creating "special servings" of tainted food.
The complaint alleges that management of the business was aware of this practice, "but did nothing that could be reasonably calculated to protect its customers from this practice."
According to Chaloupka, Diedrich was prosecuted, and pled guilty this year to a misdemeanor charge of the Nebraska Pure Food Act.
"Local business owners depend on law enforcement to protect their businesses and their employees. One would hope that in return, local businesses would take some reasonable steps to protect police officers from their own employees," said Chaloupka.
Chaloupka states in the complaint that the restaurant was negligent as it failed to properly supervise its employees; failed to properly discipline its employees; failed to protect its customers, including the Andrew family even though they were aware of the practice of adding bodily fluids to food that was to be served to law enforcement personnel.
After eating the contaminated food, one of the Andrew children had to be hospitalized on Oct. 29, 2005, and was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and dehydration as a probable result of food contamination. Another child also became ill after eating the contaminated food.
The family is seeking damages for current and future medical bills as well as physical and mental harm.
Courtesy of the Star-Herald, Scottsbluff, NE
