A man on Monday filed a lawsuit against Shaw's Crab House in Chicago for serving him salmon in 2006 that allegedly caused him to fall violently ill for several days. Citing a pathologist's report, the diner claims he got a 9-foot tapeworm from "undercooked fish, such as salmon."
Anthony Franz seeks $100,000 from Shaw's and its parent company, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE), for pain, suffering, lost time from work and "lost enjoyment of life." He contends the restaurant staff was negligent; company officials say his claim is baseless.
"We have not yet seen a copy of the lawsuit, but are aware of the incident," says Carrol Symank, VP of food safety for LEYE. "We were contacted by the individual in 2006 and, at that time, we thoroughly investigated his claim. Because of the nature of this claim, the Chicago Department of Public Health was notified. They conducted a thorough investigation as well and found no cause or connection to the restaurant. The restaurant received a full inspection finding them in compliance with Chicago's Health Codes. We are confident that there is no connection with the restaurant."
According to the Web site mayoclinic.com, tapeworms can measure up to 50 feet long.
