Find a food poisoning lawyer in El Paso: report it, keep proof, know who pays
Report food poisoning in El Paso to the City Department of Public Health. Its epidemiology program takes reports 24 hours a day at (915) 212-6520. Keep the packaging and write down a week of meals. Texas generally gives you 2 years to sue.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (28)
Who do I report food poisoning to in El Paso?
The City of El Paso Department of Public Health. It inspects food businesses in El Paso, Anthony, Clint, Horizon City, Socorro, Vinton and the county. Texas says to send food complaints to the health department that has jurisdiction where you ate.
The Epidemiology Program is at 9566 Railroad Drive, El Paso 79924, phone (915) 212-6520. It takes notifiable condition reports 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your doctor and the lab must also report certain illnesses on their own. Your report can help the city spot an outbreak.
What should I do the first week after food poisoning in El Paso?
- Get care if it is bad. Bloody diarrhea, diarrhea for more than 3 days, a fever over 102°F, frequent vomiting or dehydration are signs to see a doctor. If it is an emergency, call 911.
- Ask for a test. A lab needs 1 to 3 days to run one. A positive result ties your illness to a germ.
- Write down everything you remember eating in the week before you got sick.
- Keep the original packaging or label of any food left at home.
- Save receipts and card statements, and take a photo of the place and of what you ordered.
- Report it to the city line above. Say the date, the place and what you ate.
How soon after eating do people get sick in El Paso?
It often takes 2 to 3 days. That is why the last meal is not always the cause. A table helps you match symptoms to a time frame.
| Germ | When symptoms usually start |
|---|---|
| Staph | 30 minutes to 8 hours |
| Norovirus | 12 to 48 hours |
| Salmonella | 6 hours to 6 days |
| Campylobacter | 2 to 5 days |
| Listeria | Usually within 2 weeks |
For some people the problems last for weeks or months after they get better. Keep every doctor visit on record.
Can I look up a restaurant's inspection score in El Paso?
Yes. The city posts inspection scores for restaurants, markets, delis and other food businesses. A score of 70 or above is passing. The city also says a serious violation can close a business at once, whatever its score.
A score is a summary of one visit. For the full inspection report, use the city's Open Records Request System. The city charges fees based on the scope of the request. A good score does not prove your meal was safe, and a bad one does not prove it made you sick.
Who can I hold responsible for food poisoning in El Paso?
Start with who made or served the food. Under Texas law, a manufacturer includes a producer or a processor. A seller that did not make the food is usually not liable, unless it actually knew of the defect.
Proof is the hard part. Contamination can happen at any step, and a lab result ties you to a germ only if someone ran the test. Your doctor's visit, lab result and food diary matter most.
If you got sick from a meal at a government site, such as a city-run program, time limits are shorter. The City of El Paso needs a sworn notice to the Mayor within 90 days, or 6 months for good cause. Other Texas government bodies generally need notice within 6 months.
Fault matters too. If you are more than 50 percent at fault, you recover nothing. The 2-year deadline to sue still runs while you recover.
Questions
How do I know if it was the restaurant or something I ate at home?
You often cannot tell from symptoms alone. A lab test and your food diary help most. You can also ask for the place's inspection file through the city's Open Records Request System.
Does the doctor report my food poisoning?
Texas requires doctors, hospitals and labs to report patients who may have a notifiable condition. You can also report it yourself.
Where do I go in an emergency in El Paso?
Call 911. UMC is El Paso's Level 1 trauma center, with a main number of (915) 544-1200.
Food poisoning in El Paso? See if you are owed money.
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See if I’m owed moneySources (28)
- City of El Paso Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, checked 2026-11-09. “Notifiable condition reports are received 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
- City of El Paso Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, checked 2026-11-09. “Program Location 9566 Railroad Drive, El Paso, TX 79924 Phone: (915) 212-6520”
- CDC, checked 2026-11-09. “Store or freeze food with the original packaging or label.”
- CDC, checked 2026-11-09. “Write down everything you remember eating in the week before you got sick.”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- CDC, checked 2026-11-09. “It often takes 2 to 3 days to start feeling sick after eating a contaminated food.”
- City of El Paso, Food Establishment Scores, checked 2026-11-09. “A score of 70 or above is passing.”
- City of El Paso, Food Establishment Scores, checked 2026-11-09. “individual violation that pose an imminent threat to public health may also result in the immediate closure of an establishment regardless of score”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 82.003, checked 2026-11-09. “A seller that did not manufacture a product is not liable for harm caused to the claimant by that product unless the claimant proves”
- City of El Paso, Food Establishment Scores, checked 2026-11-09. “Inspections are conducted in the City of El Paso, Anthony, Clint, Horizon City, Socorro, Vinton and County of El Paso.”
- Texas DSHS, checked 2026-11-09. “please use the Texas Retail Food Establishments Jurisdiction Interactive Map to contact the appropriate health department”
- Texas DSHS, checked 2026-11-09. “Health care providers, hospitals, laboratories, schools, and others are required to report patients who are suspected of having a notifiable condition”
- CDC, checked 2026-11-09. “Severe food poisoning can cause bloody diarrhea, diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days, fever over 102°F, frequent vomiting, and dehydration.”
- CDC, checked 2026-11-09. “the laboratory takes 1–3 days to run tests”
- CDC, checked 2026-11-09. “diarrhea 30 minutes to 8 hours”
- CDC, checked 2026-11-09. “body aches are also possible 12 to 48 hours”
- CDC, checked 2026-11-09. “Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after infection”
- CDC, checked 2026-11-09. “fever, stomach cramps 2 to 5 days”
- CDC, checked 2026-11-09. “Symptoms of invasive illness usually start within 2 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria.”
- CDC, checked 2026-11-09. “For some people, these health problems can last for weeks or months after recovering from a foodborne illness.”
- City of El Paso, Food Establishment Scores, checked 2026-11-09. “A full report on each individual food establishment inspection is available by using the City's Open Records Request System”
- City of El Paso, Food Establishment Scores, checked 2026-11-09. “There are fees assessed based on the scope of the request.”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 82.001, checked 2026-11-09. “a designer, formulator, constructor, rebuilder, fabricator, producer, compounder, processor, or assembler of any product”
- City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “shall within 90 days or within 6 months for good cause shown from the date the damage occurred or the injury was received, give notice in writing to the mayor”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
- UMC El Paso, 2024 Annual Report, checked 2026-11-08. “UMC Receives Reverification as Level 1 Trauma Center”
- University Medical Center of El Paso, checked 2026-11-08. “Main Number: (915) 544-1200”