题目选项分析

Last year, a woman was able to demonstrate that she contracted a bad case of food poisoning from a meal at one Chinese restaurant in Bairenville, and she successfully sued the restaurant for a large sum of money. The story was popular in the town, and the size of the financial settlement made the national news. This year, we have seen a number of "copycat" suits filed against each one of the eleven Chinese restaurants in Bairenville, forcing these restaurants to hire lawyers and take steps to defend themselves in court.

Which of following conclusions can most properly be drawn from the information above?

【选项】This year, some restaurants in Bairenville have been subjected to legal expenses, irrespective of whether any of their patrons have suffered from food poisoning.