How a Food Poisoning Attorney Can Help
Foodborne illnesses aren’t like other liability claims. That’s why you need a law firm that’s successfully tackled them before. We’re food-focused trial lawyers who strive to be the best at what we do.
Your case will need one or more experts. That’s something you might not consider before hiring an attorney. We have relationships with top:
Even when you’re going up against a major company, we build your case with science and expertise.
Before hiring a law firm, you need to know they’ve helped people like you before. Review our case results. We’ve won several settlements and verdicts over $1 million.
Do you have a case? The first way a lawyer helps is by evaluating whether you have a valid claim.
You may have a strong case if you suffered:
The next step is finding the liable party. Who is responsible for your Salmonella infection? In most cases, a business that produces, transports, or sells food is to blame. Individuals can be responsible due to carelessly storing, preparing, and serving contaminated food.
Our attorneys will review whether your case may be connected to an ongoing outbreak. It might also be related to a recalled product. You could be one of the first diagnosed in a new outbreak. It may take the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention weeks or months to find the start of the bacterial contamination.
We’ll communicate with any authorities during your case. The CDC investigates the origins of Salmonella. It often pinpoints the cause of contamination but doesn’t always find the bacteria’s origins. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the U.S. Department of Agriculture might investigate an outbreak depending on the food involved. State and local public health departments also probe outbreaks.
Your financial, physical, and emotional injuries are known as damages. Before filing a lawsuit, we collect evidence about them.
Evidence may include:
We calculate how much your damages are worth based on the evidence.
We may help you file a lawsuit against the at-fault parties. Filing a lawsuit doesn’t guarantee you’ll go to trial. We resolve many Salmonella cases with settlements. We always explain your options.
We will fight for you to receive the max compensation for your:
Various businesses could be responsible, including:
Salmonella is a bacterium that causes Salmonellosis. Symptoms include abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and fever that start within three days of exposure.
Some types of Salmonella bacteria occur naturally in different places and animals. Others arise in a single location or specific animal.
Most people contract Salmonella by consuming contaminated food. The CDC estimates Salmonella causes 1.3 million illnesses per year, with most cases being caused by contaminated food, such as:
You also contract an infection by coming into contact with an animal or their feces. Birds and reptiles have the most risk.
You face a higher risk if you travel to developing countries due to poor sanitation. You’re more likely to contract a type of Salmonella that causes typhoid fever while abroad.
But children face the highest risk of Salmonella poisoning. According to the CDC, children under 5 years old have higher infection rates than any other age group.
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The most common symptoms of Salmonella are:
The incubation period for Salmonella is brief, with those affected showing symptoms within around 6 to 48 hours of consuming contaminated food or water.
Symptoms usually last between two to seven days. But diarrhea can last up to 10 days, and your bowel habits may not completely recover for several months.
Salmonella prevention is crucial to avoid the distress and potential health complications associated with this common bacterial infection. While it is not always possible to avoid exposure, following these guidelines and recognizing risk conditions can significantly reduce your risk:
Always wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling food, especially raw meats. Use separate cutting boards for meats and vegetables to prevent cross-contamination.
Cook poultry, ground meats, and eggs thoroughly. Ensure meats reach the internal temperatures recommended by food safety guidelines to kill bacteria.
Be cautious with foods that are commonly associated with Salmonella, such as raw or undercooked eggs, meats, and seafood. Consider avoiding raw foods in places where sanitation might be questionable.
Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods promptly. Do not leave food out for more than two hours, and in hot weather (above 90°F), reduce this time to one hour.
Thoroughly rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking. Even if you plan to peel the produce, it is important to wash it first to prevent the transfer of bacteria from the peel to the inside of the fruit or vegetable.
Reptiles, baby chicks, ducklings, and even cats and dogs can carry Salmonella. Always wash your hands after handling pets, especially those prone to carrying the bacteria, and keep them away from food preparation areas.
While Salmonella does not usually change the appearance, smell, or taste of food, be cautious with products that have been recalled or linked to outbreaks. Stay informed about public health alerts involving Salmonella.
Be vigilant in kitchens and food preparation areas. If you notice that raw meats are in contact with cooked foods or there are no separate utensils and cutting boards for different types of foods, these are potential risk conditions for Salmonella.
Pets that look dirty or live in unclean conditions can be carriers of Salmonella. Be extra careful around animals that are housed in environments that do not seem well-maintained.
By implementing these preventive measures and staying alert to these risk conditions, you can help protect yourself and your family from Salmonella, reducing the likelihood of experiencing this unpleasant and sometimes dangerous infection.
Most healthy adults and children recover without treatment. But Salmonella poisoning can be so severe it requires hospitalization. It can be fatal when the infection leaves the intestines and travels to the bloodstream or other parts of the body. Antibiotics may be necessary to prevent significant injury or death.
It’s possible to experience long-term side effects, including joint pain known as reactive arthritis or Reiter’s Syndrome. This condition can last for months or years and cause chronic arthritis, which is challenging to treat.
Healthy adults and children can suffer from severe infections. Infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are more likely to suffer serious complications.
A doctor might suspect an infection based on your symptoms. Confirmation requires laboratory testing of a stool or blood sample. Lab scientists will culture your sample to see if the bacteria grows.
Because dehydration is a common complication, a doctor should treat it right away. You may need to go to the hospital.
Doctors don’t always recommend anti-diarrheal medications because they can prolong the infection. But they can relieve cramping and other intestinal symptoms.
Another complication is bacteremia, which is when the infection enters the bloodstream. It can then spread throughout the body and harm:
All of these conditions require hospitalization and treatment to prevent severe injury or death.
Salmonella is a prevalent foodborne illness. At any given time, there may be one or more ongoing Salmonella outbreaks.
The CDC reported on a Salmonella Stanley infection linked to wood ear mushrooms. As of November 2020, there were 55 cases in 12 states, resulting in six hospitalizations.
In August 2020, an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis was linked to peaches distributed by Wawona Packing Company and sold at Aldi and Target stores. Nearly 100 people were sickened, with almost two dozen hospitalized.
A coast-to-coast outbreak of Salmonella Newport was announced on July 21, 2020. Over 1,000 people were sickened in the United States and Canada, with over 100 hospitalized. OFT Salmonella lawyers filed a federal lawsuit in Oregon to seek compensation for the victims.
Cavi-brand whole, fresh papayas, imported from Mexico, were also linked to an outbreak. There were 71 reported cases across eight states, which led to 27 hospitalizations and no deaths. These papayas were distributed by Agroson’s LLC.
Backyard poultry was also linked to a multistate outbreak. As of July 2019, there were 279 reported cases throughout 41 states involving 40 hospitalizations and no deaths. Of those who contracted the illness, 70 have been children younger than 5 years old. The contamination appears to be from chicks and ducklings obtained through various agricultural stores, websites, hatcheries, and other sources.
Twenty-seven cases of Salmonella Typhimurium across 17 states were linked to hedgehogs. The CDC has not identified a common source of the hedgehogs.
Additionally, as of July 2019, 93 people across 27 states had become ill due to pig ear dog treats. Twenty people were hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.
The CDC has outbreak reports linked to Karawan-brand Tahini, frozen raw tuna, pre-cut melon, and Butterball-brand ground turkey in 2019.
In 2018, the CDC reported on outbreaks connected to tahini, raw chicken, ground beef, eggs, pasta salad, cereal, dried coconut, chicken salad, kratom, sprouts, and frozen shredded coconut.
If the lab confirms a culture, it submits information about the case to local and state public health labs for serotyping and DNA fingerprinting. This process helps authorities connect cases of Salmonella and pinpoint the origin. Public health agencies then report results to the CDC, FDA, or USDA.
Federal authorities closely track Salmonella outbreaks. See a doctor if you’re experiencing severe symptoms and get diagnosed. Testing positive for Salmonella helps your local health department and the CDC identify and contain an outbreak.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to discuss your rights after a Salmonella outbreak. You deserve to know the facts, who is responsible, and your options. With decades of experience in the food safety field and millions of dollars recovered, our OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers have the skill and resources to handle any foodborne illness case.
Call 888.828.7087 today or contact us online. We handle food injury cases across the nation and offer 100% free initial consultations. There are never any fees unless we win compensation.
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