Wedding guests sue Grand Hotel

Guests to a wedding reception catered by the Saipan Grand Hotel last June 2000 are suing the Susupe-based establishment on ground that the latter’s alleged negligence brought death to one guest and caused others to suffer severely from food poisoning.

Ten Saipan residents, through counsel Eric Smith, filed the civil complaint yesterday at the Superior Court, seeking to collect damages from Micro Pacific Development Inc., doing business as Saipan Grand Hotel.

The plaintiffs alleged that the Grand Hotel negligently served them contaminated food during the Nena-Taisacan wedding reception held at the hotel’s Seaside Garden Restaurant last June 17, 2000.

According to court documents, the Grand Hotel allegedly failed to secure certain measures necessary to prevent clients from eating food that was unfit for consumption.

“The public, including the plaintiffs, had the right to expect that the defendant would maintain a standard of quality in food preparation and service which would preclude the possibility of food poisoning to its patrons through negligent and unsanitary conditions in food preparation and storage,” read the court documents.

Plaintiffs in the case include William Benavente, Ramon Sablan Basa, Josephine Camacho Cabrera, Manuel C. Sablan Jr., Norbert T. Cabrera, Alina Concepcion Cabrera, Frances Benavente, Gregorio P. Blas, Alicia B. Blas and Joseph I. Benavente on behalf of Guillermo I. Benavente, who reportedly died of food poisoning shortly after the June 17 wedding.

Except for William Benavente, all of them claimed that they ate food prepared by the Grand Hotel and became “violently and critically ill, causing each of them to suffer severe pain.”

The plaintiffs further noted that during the wedding banquet served in buffet style, they also consumed food brought from off-site sources, which was allowed by the Grand Hotel.

Guillermo Benavente, particularly, experienced severe stomach cramps and diarrhea the day after the wedding, according to court papers. His wife found him unconscious in the bathroom early morning of June 18, 2000. He was later pronounced dead at the Commonwealth Health Center and food poisoning was the reported cause of his death.

Court documents stated that the son of the deceased, William Benavente, also suffered severe stomach cramps from eating leftover wedding reception food that his mother brought him. The younger Benavente was reportedly on his way to his father’s mass service when he began experiencing stomach pain. He later had to seek medical treatment and had to stay at the CHC overnight.

Other guests such as Basa and Sablan claimed to have experienced the same ordeal, saying they had to be rushed to the CHC Emergency Room due to severe stomach cramping and diarrhea.

Josephine C. Cabrera, Norbert Cabrera, Alina C. Cabrera and Frances Benavente complained that they were sick for days and even weeks due to severe stomach cramps. Most of them also lamented having to miss work due to the illness, according to court documents.

Husband and wife Alicia and Gregorio Blas also claimed to having fallen ill due to food poisoning. Alicia said she started feeling sweaty and weak at the end of the wedding party and was rushed to the hospital at 4am the following morning. Her husband felt similar symptoms at the hospital and incidentally sought for treatment.

Janice Basa asserted the same thing, complaining that she had to be absent from work for days.

The plaintiffs are all seeking for monetary damages in an amount to be determined at a jury trial.

The deceased victim’s son is specifically demanding for general damages, damages for medical and funeral expenses, punitive damages, as well as, court costs and attorney fees.

The nine other plaintiffs are also praying for damages for past medical expenses incurred, damages for mental anguish and physical suffering, and loss in earnings, as well as court costs and other forms of relief.