JoCo family suing Hereford House, say they fell ill after eating at Leawood restaurant
A Johnson County family is the latest to sue the Hereford House after an employee was charged with unlawfully adulterating or contaminating food at the restaurant’s Leawood location.
Michael and Paula Patterson, their son John Patterson and his significant other, Kelli Sexton, all from Johnson County, and Andrew Patterson and his fiancee, Stephanie Like, from Cook County, Illinois, filed the lawsuit Thursday in Johnson County District Court against the Hereford House restaurant Company of Kansas Inc., saying they fell ill after eating at the restaurant in April.
The Patterson family contends that the restaurant was negligent and breached an implied warranty that its food would be safe. They also assert a strict liability claim alleging that the contaminated food is a defective product and the restaurant should be held liable for serving it to customers.
The lawsuit is the fifth to be filed against the Hereford House since Johnson County prosecutors charged 21-year-old Jace Christian Hanson of Kansas City with a felony of contaminating food at the restaurant at 5001 Town Center Drive in Leawood’s Town Center Plaza.
According to court documents, Hanson allegedly posted videos on a website under the name “Vandalizer” that showed a man urinating in restaurant-style food bins and rubbing food on his genitals and buttocks.
Hanson allegedly told detectives that he contaminated food in more than 20 incidents. Prosecutors say the alleged crimes occurred between March 26 and April 25. Based on Hanson’s comments to police, the Hereford House narrowed the time to 12 days, roughly between April 6 and 23.
Hanson, currently being held in Johnson County jail on a $100,000 bond, is scheduled to appear in court next week.
As of Wednesday morning, 382 people who ate at the Hereford House have contacted police, Leawood Police Chief Brad Robbins said.
The lawsuit is similar to those filed by Chad Christopher of Clay County, McHarlan and Barbara Bishop of Jackson County, Blair and Dawn Hawkins of Rogers, Arkansas, and Michael and Diane Fogarty of Johnson County, who contend they also fell ill after eating at the restaurant.
Food poisoning symptoms
According to their lawsuit, the Patterson family ate dinner at the Hereford House on the evening of Thursday, April 11. Following dinner, family members fell ill with varying gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea and vomiting.
Michael Patterson had diarrhea into the following week. Paula Patterson had diarrhea on Friday, and after eating leftovers the next day, she became sick again, per the lawsuit.
John Patterson and Kelli Sexton fell ill over the weekend and had diarrhea and vomiting into April 15. They were unable to work on April 15. Andrew Peterson and Stephanie Like also fell sick and had diarrhea that weekend and the following week, the lawsuit said.
The Patterson family contends the illness was consistent with food poisoning.
Since becoming aware of the contaminated food at the restaurant, the Patterson family contends its members suffered additional emotional and psychological distress. They claim they continue to experience anxiety and distress, including fear of future illness or medical harm from eating the alleged contaminated food.
The Patterson family is requesting a jury trial. The family members are seeking an unspecified amount in damages.
This story was originally published May 31, 2024 at 12:55 PM.
