"For context, here’s my account to the insurance company: My husband, our 2-year-old daughter, and I visited the IHOP in Waldorf, MD on December 9, 2011. My husband ordered a pancake platter, my daughter had the kids' French toast, and I chose the Big Steak Omelet, which I order consistently without hashbrowns inside, with them on the side, an English muffin instead of pancakes, and sour cream on the side. We finished our meal by 11:51 AM. By around 6 PM, I started to feel stomach discomfort accompanied by belching that smelled like rotten eggs. This discomfort lasted for several hours, and since I was 39 weeks pregnant, I couldn’t take any medication for relief. Knowing the likelihood of getting sick, I avoided eating anything else for dinner. This was my only meal of the day.
Around 1 AM on December 10, 2011, I experienced an overwhelming urge to vomit. Despite my condition, I rushed to the restroom every 30 to 45 minutes, experiencing severe vomiting, belching, and diarrhea simultaneously for several hours until my system was empty. After that ordeal, I went to Southern Maryland Hospital Center’s ER, where I received IV fluids and anti-nausea medication. Thankfully, the physical stress did not affect my child, who was born five days later. My husband and daughter showed no signs of illness, and I had no further incidents after being discharged. I only consumed clear fluids and toast crackers for the rest of the day.
When I contacted a manager at IHOP, he dismissed my claims, saying, “We cook a lot of eggs and make a lot of omelets, so I don’t think you got food poisoning from us. I’ll take your information, but you didn’t get it from us.” It’s alarming how just one bad egg or contaminated utensil can cause illness. As I mentioned, I regularly order that specific omelet, and my husband knows my order by heart; we’ve dined at this location several times over the past two years without any prior issues. This is my statement to the best of my knowledge."
