Food Poisoning
consumer injury lawyer | Sunday, May 17th, 2009 | No Comments »Foodborne illness is a serious public health problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year 76 million people get sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die as a result of foodborne illnesses.
Our food poisoning lawyers have seen countless incidents where a manufacturer’s or retailer’s negligence has been directly responsible for outbreaks of food poisoning. The Food and Drug Administration estimates that two to three percent of all foodborne illnesses lead to secondary long-term illnesses. For example, certain strains of E.coli can cause kidney failure in young children and infants; Salmonella can lead to reactive arthritis and serious infections; Listeria can cause meningitis and stillbirths; and Campylobacter may be the most common precipitating factor for Guillain-Barre syndrome. A serious bout of food poisoning can leave a victim with significant medical expenses, lost wages and other problems. The food poisoning lawyers at our firm are committed to helping victims of food borne illnesses receive the compensation they deserve.
Food Poisoning can be Caused by Bacteria and Viruses
Some of the conditions associated with bacteria and viruses found in food:
| Condition | Source | Symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| Botulism (Bacteria) | Found in canned goods, sausages, meat products, and seafood products. | Neurotoxic symptoms, including double vision, inability to swallow, speech difficulty, and progressive paralysis of the respiratory system. |
| Campylobacteriosis (Bacteria) | Found in raw poultry, meat, and unpasteurized milk. | Diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, and sometimes bloody stools. Lasts 7-10 days. |
| E.Coli (Bateria) | Found in beef that has not been cooked sufficiently. sprouts, lettuce, salami, unpasteurized milk and juice, and swimming in or drinking sewage-contaminated water. E.Coli bacteria in diarrheal stools of infected persons can be passed from one person to another if hygiene or handwashing habits are inadequate. | Severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps; sometimes the infection causes nonbloody diarrhea or no symptoms. Usually little or no fever is present, and the illness resolves in 5 to 10 days. |
| Listeriosis (Bacteria) | Found in soft cheese, unpasteurized milk, hot dogs and deli meats, imported seafood products, frozen cooked crab meat, cooked shrimp, and cooked surimi (imitation shellfish). | Fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Primarily affects pregnant women and their fetuses, newborns, the elderly, people with cancer, and those with impaired immune systems. Can cause fetal and infant death. |
| Perfringens (Bacteria) | In most instances, caused by failure to keep food hot. | Abdominal pain and diarrhea, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. |
| Salmonellosis (Bacteria) | Raw meats, poultry, eggs, milk and other dairy products, shrimp, frog legs, yeast, coconut, pasta and chocolate. | Abdominal pain and diarrhea, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. |
| Shigellosis (Bacteria) | Found in milk and dairy products, poultry, and potato salad. Food becomes contaminated when a human carrier does not wash hands and then handles liquid or food that is not thoroughly cooked afterwards. | Abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, sometimes vomiting, and blood, pus, or mucus in stool. |
| Hepatitis A (Virus) | Mollusks (oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, and cockles) become carriers when their beds are polluted by untreated sewage. | Begins with malaise, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, and fever. After 3-10 days patient develops jaundice with darkened urine. Severe cases can cause liver damage and death. |
Signs and Symptoms of Food Poisoning
If you experience any of the following signs and symptoms, either alone or in combination, you may be suffering from food poisoning:
- Bloody diarrhea Weight loss
- Diarrhea leading to dehydration
- Fever Prolonged diarrhea
- Neurologic involvement, such as paresthesias, motor weakness, cranial nerve palsies
- Sudden onset of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
- Severe abdominal pain
Long Term Effects of Food Poisoning
As discussed briefly above, food poisoning can cause serious long-term health problems, and our food poisoning lawyers have seen many victims who were still dealing with the consequences of food borne illnesses months and even years later after an initial illness. E. coli victims sometimes require kidney transplants. They may also have scarred intestines that cause lasting digestive difficulty. Even E. coli patients who supposedly recovered can experience long-term health problems later on, as it is estimated that 10 percent of E. coli sufferers develop a life-threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, where their kidneys and other organs fail.
Salmonella also has potential long-term health consequences. Some victims of Salmonella will develop a disease called Reiter’s Syndrome, a difficult- to- treat form of reactive arthritis that causes severe joint pain, irritation of the eyes, and painful urination. Reiter’s Syndrome can plague its victims for months or years, and can lead to chronic arthritis. Certain strains of shigella and yersinia bacteria, far more common abroad than in the U.S., can also trigger Reiter’s Syndrome.
About 1 in 1,000 sufferers of campylobacter, a diarrhea-causing infection spread by raw poultry, develop far more serious Guillain-Barre syndrome a month or so later. Their body attacks their nerves, causing paralysis that usually requires intensive care and a ventilator to breathe. It is estimated about a third of the nation’s Guillain-Barre cases have been linked to previous campylobacter, even if the diarrhea was very mild, and they typically suffer a more severe case than patients who never had food poisoning. Our food poisoning lawyers have represented many people who have experienced such health problems years after they thought they were recovered from food poisoning, and we know how devastating these disorders can be. For that reason, our food poisoning lawyers will do everything they can to insure that victims of these illnesses are compensated for their suffering.
Legal Help for Food Poisoning Victims
If you or someone you love suffered from food poisoning, you have valuable legal rights. Please fill out our online form or call 1 800 99 POTTS (1-800-997-6887) as soon as possible to discuss your case with one of our food poisoning injury lawyers.
