Veteran suffers permanent brain damage after eating bad oysters at steakhouse.

Veteran suffers permanent brain damage after eating bad oysters at steakhouse. 44-year-old Joe Belgio, a former U.S. Marine and firefighter, has filed a lawsuit against Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse in Chicago after he allegedly suffered permanent brain injuries from eating contaminated oysters at the establishment. The lawsuit claims that Belgio fell ill in July 2025 after eating at the restaurant, and was left in a coma for months after consuming raw oysters. Medical tests reportedly revealed several pathogens associated with shellfish contamination in his system. More than a year after the incident, Belgio's attorney stated that "He ended up getting very, very ill, resulting in cardiac arrests where he lost consciousness and oxygen for at least eight minutes, and was revived by this very fire department, and has been in the hospital ever since." Belgio's physicians determined with a "reasonable degree of medical certainty" that his health issues were caused by the oysters. Belgio's attorney says "He is extremely brain damaged, with very little cognitive capacity, and will need care for the rest of his life." People close to the veteran described him as a man who "devoted his life to protecting others" in a GoFundMe page dedicated to Belgio. Members of his former fire department have also launched the Joe Belgio Recovery Fund to further assist him.