Quebec man sues restaurant alleging salmon tartare put him in coma

A man who says he has a seafood allergy and suffered long-term physical and psychological damage after he was served salmon tartare by mistake at a Sherbrooke, Que., restaurant last May is suing the owners of the bistro and waiter.

Simon-Pierre Canuel, a Gatineau resident, says he spent a week in hospital after going into anaphylactic shock after eating the tartare at Le Tapageur Bistro on May 29.

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Canuel, who is in his mid-30s, says heplaced an order for beef tartare, telling waiter JulienVzina he had a severe seafood allergy,but was served salmon tartare instead.

He alleges in the suit that in the dimly lit room, he couldn'ttell that what he was givenwas not beef.

A statement of claim was filed by Canuel's lawyer at the Sherbrooke courthouse on Dec. 14 alleges Vzinaseemed "distracted," and was"drinking alcohol with customers at an adjacent table."

Vzina was arrested shortly after Canuel became ill last spring, butQuebec's director of criminal and penal prosecutions declined to lay charges, concluding it was not a case of criminal negligence.

None of the allegations in the statement of claim have been proven in court.

Marika Douville, the lawyer who is representingVzina and restaurant owners Francine Larochelle and Jasmin Vallires, has declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Physical, psychological damage

The suit comes months afterCanuel'slawyers sent a letter to therestaurant seekingcompensation.

Canuel is asking for a total of $415,000 in damages:$390,000 for himself and $25,000 for his partner, who was with him at the restaurant.

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The suit alleges Canuel was physically incapacitated and sufferedpsychological harm as a result of Vzina's error. The documents say he suffered a heart attack following hishospitalization and was in a coma for two days. His heart was so weak he couldn't do any physical exercise until mid-July, the suit claims.

In the documents, Canuelsays that since his visit to Le Tapageur,he suffers fromanxiety attacks andsleeping problems,andhas developed a food-related phobia.