Hot dog led to paralysis, lawsuit says

Tuesday, April 5th 2005, 1:26 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The mother of a 16-year-old boy is suing Sonic Corp., which operates Sonic Drive-In, for more than $10,000, claiming a coney dog her son ate left him poisoned and paralyzed.

Derindia Barrett said her son, Seth, and a few of his friends stopped at a Sonic in Purcell five months ago and became ill shortly after eating, according to a petition filed in McClain County District Court.

Two days later, the symptoms worsened and his parents took him to the emergency room. Doctors determined he had contracted bacterial food poisoning. The poisoning led to Gullian-Barre syndrome, the petition said.

Seth Barrett could once throw a baseball 85 mph, but now suffers with the inflammatory nervous disorder that paralyzed his legs, arms, hands, face and breathing muscles, said Kevin McCray, the family's lawyer.

Seth has some mobility but is struggling to regain movement and has had to trade athletics for physical therapy, he said.

Sonic corporate officials said Tuesday they are still gathering information on the incident. The Oklahoman quoted the restaurant manager saying he had "no comment on nothing."

The establishment in Purcell has been cited by health inspectors for being unsanitary and was negligent in its "intentional or wanton disregard for the most basic standards in food handling and preparation," according to the petition.

The family is seeking punitive damages from the restaurant and may consider the long-term effects on Seth, including permanent disability and loss of income or potential athletic scholarships.