Bit by a spider inside my throat!?

While eating out at a buffet restaurant on Thanksgiving I was bitten inside my throat by a spider! It was hiding in the salad mix, I watched, they weren't washing the lettuce before serving it. I know, ewww. I reported to the manager & submitted a statement. It swelled up really bad right away so I went to the ER. The Dr. saw the bite mark at the back of my throat & documented such.
Had to take some steroids & Zertec for a week. I incurred several hundred in med bills and really ruined my holiday. I sent a letter to the restaurant headquarters notifying them of the accident and telling them to provide insurance info, but they've not responded.

What should be my next step? How much should I ask for for pain & suffering? I don't want to hire a lawyer unless necessary.
Make sure you keep copies (originals if possible) of EVERYTHING: dr's bills and statements (including a statement from the dr saying that the symptoms were caused by the spider bite, if possible), any letters you have written to their headquarters, EVERYTHING. That should come in handy if/when you need to take it to court. An attorney should be able to help you decide how much to ask for for pain and suffering. I would check the internet and try to find info on the statue of limitations for such a claim (if one exists), and give the restaurant headquarters almost that amount of time to respond. Then, if you care enough, pursue legal action. Most good attorneys will offer a free initial consultation, so take advantage of this. Try and keep track of how long it took the headquarters to respond, as this could help your case, especially if it takes them a while to respond.
Sounds like one for judge judy!


Answer:
Watch what you eat next time.
this is where you need a lawyer. thomas
Dont ask for just pain and suffering. It sounds like a scam, even if its true. Instead add up everything single thing that your were out by the spider bite. Including missed work, travel expenses to the doctor, all medical bills. If you think about it, you can come of with alot of expenses. Then, once this figure is established add a monetary amount on the top. You can call it whatever you wish. You may or may not get it but at least all your other expenses are reimbursed
What you'll need to do is find a lawyer (they do the consultation free) that you can sit down with and talk it over with him. MAKE COPIES of all your documentation before handing it over to your attorney. He/She will advise you on whether you have a case or not. Good luck.
SUE THEIR ASSES!!!! don't hold back no mercy!
EEk I hate spiders. Yeah I'd sue their asses off!
first of all, keep documenting everything -- it's good you sent letter Certified and kept receipt. You may need to hire a lawyer if the restaurant either continues not to respond or denies any wrongdoing. If you do hire a lawyer, only hire one that will take the case on contingency, meaning lawyer only gets paid a fee if you recover money from the restaurant. You WILL have to pay the lawyer for out-of-pocket expenses, such as filing fees (if you end up filing a lawsuit), office expenses (FedEx, photocoying, postage -- yes, they charge for all the piddly stuff). However, the more expenses you incur, the more the restaurant will incur (again, assuming you win the case), so the sooner the restaurant settles with you, the better for them; the money you demand should take into account the additional legal expenses. Good luck. And gross! Sorry that happened to you.
there was an old lady that swallowed a spider

if they refuse to respond,sue. but if i see bad practices(not washing lettuce) i wouldn' t eat there.
I would go see a lawyer thats the only way you will get anything for your pain and suffering
Please go see a lawyer the restaurant will try to settle with you, but you want get very much. Remember you miss out on a lot . the holiday were there. you could have die in this situation. think about it. Pain and suffering loss of time spending with family, off from work, had to pay for medicine that if this did not happen you wouldn't need.
you are thankful to be alive. let the lawyer do what need to be done. you deserve to be paid.