Sickened restaurant patron awarded $11M in damages

A man who was sickened five years ago by salmonella-contaminated food from a now-defunct Old Country Buffet in Cheyenne, Wyo., has been awarded more than $11 million in damages, according to local media reports.

It was not clear if the defendant in the case was a franchisee or the then-parent of Old Country Buffet. The chain is now owned by Food Management Partners, which bought the concept’s former parent, Ovation Brands, about two months ago.

Court reports indicate that the plaintiff, Christopher Gage, never fully recovered from the food poisoning. The judge said Gage is unable to eat and is largely immobile. Gage’s wife was a co-defendant in the case.

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