Key points when claiming for food poisoning

  • You can claim if your food poisoning was caused by poor hygiene or improper food handling at a restaurant, takeaway or public event.
  • You can also claim if you were made ill by contaminated food or drink sold in a shop.
  • Your solicitor will identify who is legally liable to pay compensation.
  • Typical payouts can range from £1,010 for cramps and short-term digestive problems to £68,680 for permanent damage and ongoing pain.
  • You can start a claim within 3 years of identifying the cause of your illness.
  • You should seek medical attention as soon as possible, and your claim will be stronger if other people were also made ill.
  • Your compensation will depend on the seriousness of your illness, and your financial losses and expenses. You can find out how much you can claim with our compensation calculator.
  • You can make a no win, no fee claim.

If a food poisoning has set you back, we'll help you move forward

Food poisoning can lead to severe and sometimes even life-threatening conditions. If you have been affected by food poisoning, we can help. If your injuries were caused by someone else's actions or negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

Compensation may be awarded for medical care, lost earnings, and any pain experienced from eating contaminated or improperly handled food, whether purchased from a restaurant or shop.

You can make a No Win, No Fee compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.

With over 2 million cases of food poisoning each year, you are not alone

An estimated 2.4 million cases of foodborne illness occur every year in the UK (food.gov.uk).

If you have suffered food poisoning on holiday, after eating out at a bar or restaurant, or buying food or drink from a shop, you may be able to claim compensation for your illness.

For information on food poisoning symptoms and treatment, see: food poisoning (nhs.uk).

How much compensation can I claim for food poisoning?

Your compensation for food poisoning is influenced by:

  • the seriousness of your illness,
  • the restriction caused by your illness on your daily life and employment,
  • any direct financial losses or expenses resulting from your illness.

Food poisoning compensation calculator

Find out how much compensation you could claim in just a few minutes. Check your legal eligibility and see if you qualify for a No Win, No Fee claim.

Updated February 2025 Compensation Calculator v3.1

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

Special damages will be awarded for any lost earnings, loss of commission or bonuses, and loss of pension contributions. It may also be possible to claim for loss of future earnings, if the medical prognosis establishes that you won't be able to work for any period in the future.

These damages will also cover the cost of any medical procedures you might need to treat or recover from your food poisoning such as rehydration, anti-diarrheal medication, antibiotics if needed and monitoring.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Average food poisoning compensation payouts

The following food poisoning payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).

These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.

Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).

Abdominal injury

Example Amount
A serious non-penetrating injury, with permanent complications (e.g severe indigestion) £18,630 to £30,800
Including severe digestive system damage, ongoing pain, permanent complications, penetrating stab wounds and serious lacerations £47,720 to £68,680

Digestive problems

Example Amount
Pain, cramps and diahorea lasting days or weeks £1,010 to £4,380
Food poisoning, cramps, and affected bowel function, with full recovery in one to two years £4,380 to £10,580
Serious food poisoning, possibly leading to toxicosis, hospital admission and IBS, affecting your work and quality of life £42,640 to £58,250

Am I entitled to make a food poisoning claim?

You can start a claim for food poisoning, if:

  • you were injured within the last 3 years, and;
  • another person was to blame, and;
  • that person owed you a duty of care.

Use our injury claim calculator to find out if you can claim. Or you can call 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor. Find out in minutes if you have a claim.

What if I was partially at fault?

Personal injury claims where both the defendant and claimant share some responsibility are relatively common.

In our recent 2025 Personal Injury Claimant Survey, 13.99% of respondents thought they could be partially to blame for their accident.

Claims are possible even when your actions partially caused the accident. In instances of 'contributory negligence', claims are usually settled with a split liability agreement.

Read more:

Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?

How long do I have to start a food poisoning claim?

An injury claim will usually need to be made within 3 years of the date or your accident or injury.

If you were injured due to someone else's negligence but didn't realise it at the time, the clock starts ticking from the 'date of knowledge' - the day you become aware of your injury.

For injured children, a claim can be started by a parent or guardian at any time before they turn 18. Thereafter, the injured individual has until their 21st birthday to make a claim on their own.

How do I prove I had food poisoning?

Research published by the Food Standards Agency suggests that more than 500,000 British people seek treatment for food poisoning each year. Since the majority of people do not visit their GP for these illnesses, it is likely that patient numbers represent only a fraction of total food poisoning cases.

Most cases of food poisoning clear up within a few days and, because people consume food from a variety of providers, cases can be difficult to prove.

Acting promptly to contact a specialist solicitor to discuss your options can make it easier to gather suitable evidence, and can improve your chances of making a successful personal injury claim.

Can I claim for food poisoning if I didn't see a doctor?

It depends. You may still be eligible to claim compensation if your solicitor can prove:

  • You suffered food poisoning, and
  • Another person or organisation caused your food poisoning.

If you did not visit a doctor or hospital to treat your symptoms, you may still be able to prove you were affected. You may be able to refer to any record of complaints you made at the time, emails, SMS or other communications or evidence of time you had to take off work during your recovery.

You may also have a stronger claim if your food poisoning was part of an outbreak that affected several other people.

What food poisoning symptoms can I claim for?

Food poisoning is caused by harmful bacteria, viruses or parasites on food entering the stomach and intestine. These pathogens can poison the by damaging the lining of the intestines or by producing harmful toxins.

Symptoms range from minor to very serious and include:

  • Stomach cramps
  • Diarrhoea and vomiting
  • Blood in the stools
  • Fever

Symptoms can appear half an hour after eating contaminated food or can present over several days as the bacteria multiplies to dangerously high levels.

Some people will fall ill for just a few hours, whereas others may be ill for weeks. In very severe and recurring cases, food poisoning can cause nervous system damage and other permanent health issues.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can also develop as a result of a severe bout of food poisoning, leading to life-altering, long term consequences.

See also:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome claims

Which bacteria cause food poisoning?

The overwhelming majority of reported food poisoning cases are attributable to the following organisms.

Campylobacter

Campylobacter is the most common food-borne bacteria, accounting for 280,000 cases of food poisoning each year. Four out of five cases are caused by contaminated poultry. The bacteria may also be present on meat, unpasteurised milk and untreated water.

Salmonella

Salmonella is responsible for the most hospital admissions - around 2,500 each year. The bug is most commonly found in meat, poultry, eggs, unpasteurised milk and seafood. Incidences of salmonella poisoning have declined consistently in the UK. However, it remains a primary cause of holiday food poisoning claims affecting tourists travelling to locations where food hygiene standards are lower than in the UK.

Worldwide, salmonellosis is one of the most common and widely distributed foodborne diseases. Tens of millions of human cases occur every year (who.int).

E. Coli

E. coli poisoning is caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Hand washing before preparing food is essential to prevent contamination.

Cryptosporidium

The cryptosporidium microorganism lives in water. Large outbreaks of cryptosporidium poisoning typically occur when drinking water becomes contaminated due to inadequate filtration to remove the parasite.

Norovirus

Norovirus and rotavirus are highly contagious viruses passed by poor hand hygiene or eating contaminated food. They are responsible for an estimated 74,000 cases of food poisoning each year, notably occurring in closed environments, leading to illness aboard a cruise ship for example, or in a hospital or nursing homes.

Contact with contaminated surfaces can lead to outbreaks of epidemic proportions in such environments.

See also:

Cruise ship illness claims

Do I need to know what virus or bacteria caused my food poisoning?

No, although identification may help your claim.

If you sought medical attention when you had symptoms, the doctor may have taken samples to identify the specific virus or bacteria that caused your food poisoning.

In most cases, identifying the cause won't affect the compensation you receive, although it might strengthen your case. For example, knowing the specific cause may help narrow down where and how you were exposed.

Can I claim against a tour operator for food poisoning?

To bring a successful food poisoning claim against a tour operator, a claimant must prove that his illness was due to the neglect or fault of the tour operator or its hotel supplier.

Determining the cause of the infection may be difficult as salmonellosis can be contracted from several sources.

A tour operator may deny liability, arguing that a claimant could have consumed contaminated food or drink elsewhere. If the claimant can demonstrate that he or she only ate inside the hotel complex for the 72 hour period prior to the onset of symptoms a claim may be possible.

How are these illnesses transmitted?

Infections like Salmonella are usually picked up from eating or drinking contaminated food or water. The bacterium is destroyed by cooking, so undercooked food or unpasteurised milk may still carry infection.

Poor food hygiene in preparation or storage areas can result in cross contamination from raw food, particularly chicken and eggs. Food which is already cooked or needs no cooking such as fruit and salads may then become a source of infection.

People already infected with Salmonella may transmit bacteria to others through poor hygiene practice.

Establishing how and where the infection occurred is a critical step in the claims process. It must be demonstrated that the defendant was legally responsible for the poor hygiene or other breach, and that this breach led to the claimant's infection.

What are the symptoms of food poisoning?

Symptoms for Salmonella poisoning generally between 6 and 48 hours after contracting the infection. Symptoms generally include diarrhoea and vomiting, and patients may also sustain fever, abdominal cramps, headache and rashes. The illness may last for several days.

A small percentage of children under 5 may carry the bacteria for 12 months after the onset of their illness.

Complications of food poisoning - such as reactive arthritis - also rarely arise, particularly among young children and people over 65. Reactive arthritis is thought to occur in 2 to 15 percent of Salmonella patients. Symptoms, which usually appear 18 days after infection, include inflammation of the joints, eyes, or reproductive or urinary organs.

How the cause of your food poisoning impacts the claims process

The process for making a claim varies with how your food poisoning illness happened. Click the icons to learn more.

Can I make a no win, no fee food poisoning claim?

Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim food poisoning compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.

Find out more about how no win, no fee claims work

Get expert advice now

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Sources

(reviewed: 30/07/2024)

Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher

Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher