Specialist Lawyers At Irwin Mitchell Instructed To Represent 18 Clients Who Fell Ill After Eating at Mexican Restaurant

The father of teenager who contracted a potentially life-threatening illness after eating at a popular restaurant chain, is to speak about his family’s ordeal on national TV.

Sarah Cousins, also known by her friends and family as Evie, was amongst a group of diners who fell ill after eating at the Wahaca restaurant in London at the end of October 2016.

The 17-year-old, from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, was hospitalised with severe gastric symptoms after visiting the White City branch of the Mexican restaurant franchise.

The A-Level student, who has Type-1 diabetes, went on to develop the potentially life-threatening illness ketoacidosis as a result of the illness.

Specialist Public Health lawyers at Irwin Mitchell were instructed to investigate the cause of the illness. Lawyers are now representing 18 clients who fell ill after eating at Wahaca. The restaurant owner’s insurers have admitted legal liability for the incident.

Now Sarah, and her father, Dr Mike Cousins, are to appear on BBC show Fake Britain where they will speak about Sarah’s battle to recover from her illness.

Amandeep Dhillon, specialist Public Health lawyer at Irwin Mitchell is representing the family along with 17 other diners.

Expert Opinion

“Sarah and her family have had to endure nearly a year of suffering because of complications with her illness after eating at Wahaca.

“Sarah’s story and what she has had to contend with is an important reminder of the seriousness of gastric illness outbreaks. Many are fortunate to recover from their symptoms within a few days, but there are some who are less fortunate. Such illnesses can have a lasting impact on victims and – in cases like Sarah’s – lead to further complicating and serious health problems.

“We are still working with our clients to ensure that they receive the justice they deserve in relation to their illnesses.

“It is also imperative that lessons are learned from Sarah’s case in an effort to ensure that the problems she faced are simply not repeated.” Amandeep Dhillon - Partner

Shortly after Sarah’s illness, Public Health England confirmed it was investigating the entire Wahaca chain after reports of more than 300 people falling ill following a suspected outbreak of norovirus across the UK.

While Sarah has recovered from the most serious aspects of her illness, she suffered some ongoing symptoms and also required time off from college at a critical point in her studies.

The Public Health team at Irwin Mitchell has represented hundreds of people who have suffered illness in the UK, including The Toby Carvery outbreak in Exeter in 2015 where lawyers currently act for more than 300 people. The team has also successfully recovered many hundreds of pounds for groups of claimants who suffered illness as a result of the Newcastle Spice Festival, Grand Hotel Scarborough and Stoke Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks.

Dr Cousins, 49, said: “The last few months have placed a great deal of stress on all the family as Sarah tried to recover from her illness.

“The illness happened at an extremely important time in Sarah’s life and she was forced to take significant time off college. Seeing Sarah in hospital because of the impact the illness had on her diabetes shocked us all.”

“By speaking out we hope restaurant owners realise the necessity to uphold hygiene standards at all times. Simply going out for what should have been an enjoyable meal has turned into months of torment for Sarah and the family.”

The episode of Fake Britain is due at 9.15am tomorrow (Friday, September 22) on BBC One.