State News
Survivors sue Tarheel Q
The family of a man sickened at a Lexington, N.C., barbecue restaurant is suing for damages after his death from salmonella poisoning.
Posted — Updated
LEXINGTON, N.C. — The family of a man sickened at a Lexington, N.C., barbecue restaurant is suing for damages after his death from salmonella poisoning.
George H. Allen, of Davie County, is the only person known to have died, although more than 250 people reported diarrheal illness after eating at Tarheel Q. The cases include people from 19 North Carolina counties and five states. Officials say 6 percent of those people stricken were hospitalized.
Allen's son filed suit against the restaurant Friday, adding to a reported seven other suits already in progress. Tarheel Q owner Trey Payne wouldn't comment on the lawsuits.
The restaurant was closed for more than a week after the outbreak began.
Allen's suit lists four instances in which Tarheel Q was cited for sanitary issues, including three critical violations as recently as February 2015 for failure to store food at the required temperature.
Copyright 2024 by WRAL.com and the Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
