Conti Fenn LLC| Baltimore judge scales down food-poisoning verdict

The Daily Record: Baltimore judge scales down food-poisoning verdict

Article by By Lawrence Hurley, The Daily Record

A Baltimore jury appeared to agree yesterday with Legal Sea Foods Inc.'s slogan, "If it isn't fresh, it isn't Legal," when it awarded $50,000 in damages to a New Jersey man who contracted food poisoning after eating at the company's Inner Harbor restaurant. Michael Stanton's joy was short-lived, however, as he found out hours later that a Baltimore City Circuit Court judge had remitted the sum to just over $19,000. Stanton, who was on vacation in Baltimore for Father's Day two years ago, is now hoping for a retrial, claiming that $19,000 awarded by Judge Alfred Nance after the three-day trial will not cover his costs, according to his lawyer, Anthony M. Conti. Stanton became ill after eating lobster, mussels and several other dishes at the East Pratt Street restaurant on June 15, 2002 with his pregnant wife and two children. Several hours after the meal, Stanton "became violently ill, vomiting profusely and experiencing severe diarrhea," according to the lawsuit. He then "lost control of his bowels and vomited while on route to the hospital," the suit said. Conti said his client had hoped for a $75,000 verdict. A call placed to Legal Sea Food's Boston, Mass., headquarters was not returned yesterday.

May 21 2004 at 4:26 PM