Location: New York
I don’t consume caffeine because it interacts with a medication I’m on and can cause heart issues.
My girlfriend and I were visiting a friend of her’s apartment, and the friend served me caffeinated tea knowing I don’t drink caffeine. This spiked my blood pressure to 200/130 and I had to go to the hospital. I now have a $4000 bill from the ER and ambulance.
She (the friend) is aware that I don’t drink caffeine, but does not know the reason why. She has ridiculed me for not consuming caffeine in the past to the point where I would almost call it bullying. She has pressed many times asking me why I don’t drink it and I have told her off that it is none of her business, or that I don’t like the feeling.
This morning, we sat down at her apartment for tea with our group of friends. She served everyone else first. Then she got another tea kettle from her kitchen, and said ‘and here is some DECAF for (my name)’ in a sarcastic voice. A couple other girls at the table snickered at this. I rolled my eyes and drank the tea.
About 10 minutes later my chest starts to feel funny but I chose to ignore it. 10 minutes after that and I can’t ignore the feeling anymore, and I announce that I don’t feel good and need to lie down. I ask my girlfriend to run to our car and grab my blood pressure monitor.
At this point everyone is freaking out. My blood pressure reads 200/130 and I can feel my left arm start to go numb (although this was probably just anxiety)
My girlfriend calls an ambulance. At this point the friend speak up and admits that she served me regular caffeinated tea because she thought I was ‘just being a wuss’ about it and she wanted to prove a point that I would be fine. She was in tears as she admitted this – she knew she screwed up.
I was taken to the ER and put on medication to lower my blood pressure. I never actually entered cardiac arrest – but the doctors said I most likely would have if I did not get to the ER In time. I consumed a large black tea – based on the bloodwork they estimate around ~90mg of caffeine – which is not a lot for healthy person.
My questions:
do I have a case to persue her in civil court for the medical costs?
Do I have a case to pursue her in civil court for emotional damages for the embarrassment, and prolonged bullying before the incident?
Do I have a case to press criminal charges? The way I see it, I was drugged.
My girlfriend does not want me to pursue this in court. But I could care less about our relationship at this point given her reluctance to stand up to this friend for me in the past.
Comments
Not a lawyer.
Yes, you have a valid reason to press charges as well as pursue it in civil court for damages. Consult a real lawyer to know the best course of action.
You also have a pretty valid reason to dump your girlfriend..
She literally could have killed you. Pursue.
Civil court, sure. Also, criminal assault.
If your girlfriend doesn’t support this, drop her.
She should be arrested. She literally purposely poisoned you to prove a point. That’s fucking gross. What if it was worse and you died? Or had cardic arrest?
Is this AI?
NAL
Call the cops. This is a crime
Given that multiple people heard her admit to intentionally poisoning you because she thought you were faking and the hospital records, it is likely that they will be able to prove in criminal court that she is guilty.
You can also sue her in civil court for the cost of medical bills.
All about if you can prove “intent.” However I’d advise to stay out of the legal system, it can get murky and you may not get your legal fees back which would dwarf your $4k reward if a court after a year or so even decided in your favor.
You should press criminal charges. It’s clear that this person understands she was giving you something you said would make you ill (and it did).
Write up exactly what happened, including dates, times, and a list of everyone who was present.
Submit a police report.
Then file a civil case.
File a police report, then, civil court. She had ill intentions, she could have killed you.
You should talk to a lawyer. You likely have a viable legal cause of action against the friend for civil battery. But just because the law is on your side doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be able to recover real money. This will also depend on the friend’s financial situation and any relevant insurance policies she may have.
For now, be sure to hold onto any messages/emails you’ve had about the incident. Good luck!
I’m just caffiene-sensitive, and I don’t even drink decaf tea or coffee because with decaf, it’s never guaranteed there is zero caffiene, and I don’t want to even take the chance. I’m kind of surprised you don’t take the same precautions since you can wind up with a heart attack. That being said, it’s not your fault and an asshole move of that person.