All over the world, people fall ill because of the food they eat. Hundreds of millions of people are victims of food-borne diseases every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In Illinois, victims of food poisoning can file lawsuits against the parties responsible in order to seek compensation for their losses.

If you look at the newspaper these days, it will be filled with food poisoning cases. Such cases range from restaurant negligence to contamination in packaged food items on grocery store shelves. In the America alone, 76 million food poisoning illnesses and 5,000 deaths are reported a year.

What Causes Food Poisoning?

Personal injury is not always the result of fractured bones or brain damage; a person can suffer from food poisoning, as well, as these cases often result from someone's negligence. Some food poisoning cases result in a minimal personal injury, but there are certain food-borne bacteria that can cause serious damage to unsuspecting victims, leaving them with hefty medical bills and lost wages from time off work spent in recovery.

In today's economy, many companies are looking to maximize profits with minimal operational costs involved. Unfortunately, such a behavior can constitute negligence when it compromises the well-being of customers. When large food retail chains, grocery stores, food manufacturers and farmers ignore the potential damage their wrongdoing will have on others in order make money, these entities can be held accountable for their actions in a court of law. Victims of food poisoning are encouraged to pursue compensation from the at-fault parties with the help of a experienced personal injury attorney.

Common Causes of Food Contamination

Spring is here, and for many people in Illinois and across the United States, that means it is time to venture outdoors again after a long winter in hibernation. As flowers bloom and trees regrow their leaves, enjoying a picnic in a park can be a relaxing way to welcome warm spring weather.

Your picnic will not be much fun if you or somebody else who attended falls ill with food poisoning in the days that follow. As the picnic planner, you can take steps to protect yourself and your guests from becoming ill after eating from your picnic basket. The following tips will help you keep food out of the danger zone and prevent cross-contamination.

Keep Everything Separated

In a recent blog post, we talked about the recent multi-state Salmonella outbreak that was linked to raw bean sprouts served at Jimmy John's restaurants in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Currently, the outbreak is being investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

When a food poisoning outbreak is linked to a specific food retailer or distributor, the responsible party may be required to take certain steps, such as recalling the contaminated product, to protect consumers from further illness. In other cases, the responsible party voluntarily makes changes and takes precautions to eliminate the chance of further illnesses occurring because of their product. A recent example of a retailer taking steps to protect its consumers is Chipotle's publicized changes to their food handling measures after it was linked to an E.Coli outbreak.

Jimmy John's Measures to Reduce Further Illnesses

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association illustrated how restaurant review website Yelp helped the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene uncover 10 food poisoning outbreaks between 2012 and 2017. The researchers who conducted the study used a computer program that scanned Yelp reviews for specific food poisoning-related keywords like “vomit” and “sick.” After successfully uncovering local outbreaks through the program, the researchers hope to use it to track foodborne illnesses in other cities.

Studying How User Reviews can be Used to Trace Outbreaks

The researchers followed up with many of the reviewers about their symptoms, which items they consumed, and whether their dining companions became ill as well. In doing so, they tracked a few outbreaks that were not reported to health authorities. It is not uncommon for an individual to simply let his or her illness run its course, especially if the illness does not require the victim to receive medical attention.