Fast food giant KFC has been told to pay $8 million to the parents of a girl who say she was left paralysed and brain damaged after eating a chicken Twister. Monika Samaan, then aged 7, became seriously ill with salmonella poisoning after eating at the Villawood KFC in 2005.
Last Friday her family won their compensation bid against KFC in the New South Wales Supreme Court and today Justice Stephen Rothman ordered KFC to pay $8 million plus legal costs. KFC denied it was responsible for the poisoning and says it will appeal the decision.
In a statement the restaurant said the case was clearly tragic but they were "deeply disappointed and surprised" by Judge Rothman's decision.
"We believe the evidence showed KFC did not cause this tragedy and, after reviewing the judgment and seeking further advice from our lawyers, we have decided to appeal Justice Rothman's decision," KFC Australia's chief corporate affairs officer Sally Glover said.
Samaan was in a coma for six months and was left with spastic quadriplegia with severe brain damage after falling ill.
The family’s lawyer George Vlahakis said the costs of caring for the severely disabled girl had already exhausted "the limited resources of the family". He said they were relieved the court battle was over but distressed by the announcement of an appeal.
【新闻快讯】澳大利亚一家法庭一周前裁定快餐连锁店肯德基提供不洁食品、导致一名顾客患病的事实成立，27日下令肯德基向原告支付800万澳元（约合830万美元）赔偿并承担全部诉讼费用。
原告莫妮卡·萨曼2005年10月在悉尼一家肯德基门店食用鸡肉卷后患上沙门氏菌脑病，症状包括大脑认知、行动、语言能力严重损伤，最终四肢痉挛性瘫痪。萨曼当年只有7岁，至今未愈。萨曼的代理律师说，萨曼家人当时同样出现不适症状，但没有患上这种主要因食物中毒引起的严重血液型脑病。新南威尔士最高法院一周前对这桩诉讼作出终审判决，判肯德基败诉。27日，法院公布高达830万美元的罚金数额。
肯德基在上星期庭审期间拒绝承认萨曼的瘫痪由食品不洁所致，声称一旦败诉将提起上诉。截至27日，肯德基没有上诉。法新社援引法官罗什曼的话报道，肯德基鸡肉卷受污染的原因是“一名或多名员工失误”，违反备料备餐安全规程。
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