Food Poisoning Cases on the Rise

 Posted on December 22, 2018 in Food borne illness

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?

1,500 food poisoning deaths reported every year are caused by pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria, and Toxoplasma, while the cause of the rest of the deaths are largely unknown. Mild gastroenteritis to fatal renal and hepatic symptoms are a few of the symptoms experienced by poisoning victims. Around 200 known diseases are believed to be carried by food in the forms of viruses, parasites, and bacteria.

In the US, the Centers for Disease Control document the number of cases of food poisoning cases reported each year.

Food-borne illness is mainly caused by the following factors:

• Improper sanitization of food preparation stage;
• Hands not washed properly before touching food items;
• Permitting entry of foreign objects into the food;
• Inappropriate food storage techniques;
• Maintaining a food temperature favorable to bacteria growth;
• Impure water usage;
• Allowing people with communicable disease to cook food;
• Not using clean utensils; and
• Inadequately cooking food before serving.

It can be challenging to point out the exact cause of food contamination as it can occur during any stage of the food preparation process. For this reason, it is best to enlist the help of an experienced food poisoning lawyer to help you determine which parties can be held responsible for your injuries. Potentially everyone involved in the food's distribution chain can be sued for damages.

Food Poisoning Lawsuits

It is a challenge to prove that a food-borne illness is a result of negligence. Per Illinois law, restaurant workers should receive state-approved training on keeping the food safe. There is a designated department of health in Illinois that administers training programs to ensure food is processed safely through every stage of its preparation.

Contact a Food Poisoning Personal Injury Lawyer

If you are a resident of the Arlington Heights, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Libertyville, Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, and Itasca areas, and you or your child is experiencing an illness caused by food poisoning, call the food poisoning lawyers at Newland & Newland, LLP at 312-981-0409, or a fill out our online contact form for a complimentary evaluation of your situation.

(image courtesy of Ashley Baxter)