Location: Georgia, USA
My wife has a severe nut allergy, and we made this extremely clear to the venue from the start. We informed them through every available communication channel — text, email, phone calls, and in-person meetings. Our contract even includes a clause, written in red ink, that the menu must be entirely nut-free. We wanted to eliminate any risk, so we specifically requested that all food prepared or served by the venue be free of any nuts or nut products.
On the day of the wedding, during lunch, my wife was served a chicken salad croissant — which, unbeknownst to her, contained pecans. She had a reaction shortly after eating it. Thankfully it wasn’t anaphylaxis, but it was still a serious allergy attack requiring immediate antihistamines.
When we brought this up to the venue’s general manager, their response was frankly alarming. We were told that she “should have known it had pecans — it’s something we’re famous for.” (We were never told this prior.) We then asked for a first aid kit, and were told they didn’t have one. The GM said, “Maybe you should just go to the hospital.” There was no urgency, no assistance, no apology at the time — and no meaningful follow-up since, apart from some vague statements that mostly seemed like blame-deflection.
We were extremely cautious and trusted them to follow a clear and documented request. Given the paper trail and the seriousness of a food allergy, we’re wondering:
• Is it worth pursuing any sort of legal action, or should we just leave a review and move on?
Comments
NAL but I’d definitely pursue this legally. Given that it was outlined specifically in your contract and they went against it. Between the fact that it messed up your wedding and I assume your wife went to the hospital (medical bills), you deserve compensation. If the venue wasn’t aware then this would have been entirely different, but the lack of accountability is crazy from them.
what does the contract say about breach?
I think it depends. Did you end up using the facility? How severe was the reaction? Was the wedding ruined?
If you ended up using the facility/proceeding with the wedding/reaction wasn’t severe, might not be worth it. If the opposite is true might be—at least to get your money back if not emotional damages.
But probably depends on the state laws as well. Get a consult!
AI
what is the pain and suffering worth of you and your wife imagining, even briefly, that your wedding day was her last day on earth due to nut exposure?
Definitely seek legal.
Start by contacting the local health department, restaurants and caterers are expected to either manage allergen cross-contamination or clearly indicate that they are unable to do so. The fact that they either didn’t have a first aid kit or weren’t willing to let you use it is also likely illegal. Try to get written statements from anyone who witnessed the salad being served with nuts, her reaction to it, or the conversation with the venue manager.
I’d also recommend reaching out to a personal injury attorney in your area and seeing if they feel you have a case. Whether or not you have a viable case is going to be heavily dependent on what was in that contract, what evidence you can provide, and what damages you can show.
A lawyer would be able to tell you if you have a case far better then Reddit.
I don’t do these kinds of cases, never practiced in GA, and this is not legal advice. But it sounds like this company is liable for whatever damages you have. Breach of contract and negligence at the very least.
The post doesn’t talk about damages: serious health consequences, lost money or services related to the wedding, any suffering or lasting emotional trauma. Without damages you don’t stand to gain anything from the suit. This again comes with the caveat that there might be some statute I don’t know about that might make a lawsuit make sense.
Make sure you talk to attorneys about how they value the case. Be mindful that some attorneys will take these cases if they can get attorney’s fees paid for by the opposing party. That may be a good reason for a lawyer to sue, but not necessarily a good reason for you.
Good luck!
NAL I think you should pursue this. Subsequent clients might suffer more than your wife. Congratulations!
Your wife should carry Epinephrine injection or nasal spray for severe nut allergies. She should probably make an appointment with an Allergist and have a complete work up with allergy testing for a complete allergy profile. She can also were an Allergy alert bracelet. Have the final report sent to all of her physicians. She may be able to take allergy shots to work on decreasing sensitivity to nuts and any other allergens she is found to have,