found metal chunk in food......

[bell]

So we bought some of those tube wafer cookie things....
Wife bites into one and breaks a tooth.....wtf
Who do I call ?.......this is going to cost me thousands as we don't have dental insurance....

[Jim Bremner]

Contact the company tomorrow. Be polite.

[bell]

And yes just to clarify she bit into one, and the metal was definitely what was in the cookie....
Thanks.....getting all my ducks in a row....

[RWebb]

do not contact the company by telephone; after you see your dentist, write the company a letter

you may need an attorney

[quicksix]

If your wife has signs/symptoms of discomfort, go to the land of ER.
Call a dentist tomorrow,get an estimate for repair work. Call the store you bought the product from,let them know,then call the distributor of the product.
Establish a chain from when you bought the product.
Good luck

[DonDavis]

My .02.

Document, document, document. Contact everyone via email or snail mail. Avoid phone calls.
Depending on how badly the tooth is broken, you may have to work out something with a dentist to get it repaired. Then hope for reimbursement.

Bummer it happened.

[bell]

The tooth that broke isn't causing any immediate pain.....still needs fixed...
Don't have the cashflow to pay out of pocket for this.....which most all dentists require up front......

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Everything in writing - do nothing by phone. Company should step up & cover dental costs. I'd bring it to their attention but not demand anything right now - give them the chance to do the right thing.

[MRM]

Every food manufacturer has a claims process establishe for biting into foreign ojects into their food. My old firm handled all the claims for one of the big food processors/cerial manufacturers that's based in the Twin Cities. The attorney handling the account always had a few dozen broken tooth claims going at any given time. They almost never go into litigation because the companies usually pay for all the dental bills pretty easily and throw a few dollars in for pain, suffering and inconvenience.

There should be a 1-800 number on the back of the package. Call that immediately and report the claim. Get the contact information of the person you need to send the documentation to support your claim to. Take photos like you have, including of the tooth if you can. Save the wrapper and the packaging it came in. Write down a short account of what happened from beginning to end.

The things the company looks out for are how quickly you reported the claim, the sooner the better; whether you have good photos and documentation showing the object and where you bought it from; and excellent documentation from your dentist. Go to your regular dentist as soon as possible and tell him exactly what happened. Don't get anything done unless you have to, but have him document the injury, especially that this was not a rotten tooth that would have broken soon if your wife bit into mashed potatoes some day soon. Have the dentist give you a letter documenting the injury, telling you what needs to be done to fix it, and a hard cost estimate.

The company may arrange to pay your dental bills directly. If they do, make them agree to pay everything the dentist charges and make them pay your wife a thousand or two for the pain and suffering. A broken tooth case maxes out at about $5,000 (including all medical expense) unless there was catastrophic damage like a piece of the jawbone broke too or your wife needs surgery. There's no reason you shouldn't push the company to pay all bills and give your wife something for the experience in the $5,000 range (combined medical expense and cash payment to your wife).

Expect her to be asked to give a recorded statement over the phone, fill out some forms and signing authorizations to release all her dental records. The company has a checklist its adjusters work off. They can't authorize offering any money until their checklist is complete. Copies of the medical records, a R/I, completed forms and photos are the minimum needed to complete the checklist.

[Baz]

Wouldn't hurt to ask the opinion of a friend who is a personal injury attorney.

Certainly you must have a buddy who is one of these, and who can informally give you an opinion as to the most prudent path to follow.

I am not one to always run to legal services either - but in my opinion this situation may call for it.

I would hope the manufacturer will step up and make things right.

I agree to document as much as possible.

[john70t]

Company might say it could have been caused by anything.
Not their product, and you're trying to scam. No linking evidence .
Expect it.

[Baz]

There ya go.....good job MRM !

[john70t]

I recently bought a frozen seafood mix for stir fry. "Overseas" company.
Found clear plastic shreds which looked exactly like ice crystals.
Emailed company and grocery store(corporate and local) several times. Round-and-round.
Same bags of product was still in the freezer next week.

[RWebb]

also be sure the dentist can assure that this will not cause problems in the future - the food co. will want you to releas them from any future liability

it makes sense for them to require this; just make certain that there is low future risk for you

[gshase]

Save the package the food product came in. Take the object to the Dentist. Call the Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC - Home I do not see a problem with calling the food company and talking with them, Most likely you can start a claim with them. Claim # and person you spoke with for further contact.

[bell]

Here is a pic for scale......

[KaptKaos]

Keep everything associated with this incident. Receipt, wrapper, EVERYTHING.

And as much as I hate to say it, Webb is probably right, get an Atty. You don't need to fleece the company, but you want your damages, expenses, and other associated costs (missed work, prescriptions, follow-ups, etc..) covered.

[RWebb]

he may not need an atty. - it depends

essentially follow the MRM "plan" but if he uses a telephone he needs to be careful and take notes on what he does say - if it comes to litigation, they will try to contrast his phone call with any thing said or claimed later

it is better for everybody if this gets taken care of w/o a lot of "drama"

[Joe Bob]

Call the FDA, local board of health?

[MRM]

It's not big enough of a claim for an attorney. The company will pay medical expenses plus a few dollars if presented with proper documentation. You can do the documentation yourself if you're careful and use common sense. The key is to be credible in showing the metal was in the food and the damage to your wife's tooth was caused exclusively by crunching on the metal bit.