Posted on January 04, 2019 in Food poisoning attorney

For many, a well-cooked meal at a restaurant of choice is one of life's great pleasures. Such venues are used for celebrations. In fact, many of life's “big events” from weddings to graduation parties and even funerals are punctuated by specially prepared food.

What happens when the chiefs and staff are unhygienic? What if things go awry in the kitchen? When you think about it, we place an extraordinary amount of trust in the people who prepare our food. Often we take it on faith that the employees are washing their hands or that the many unhygienic pests that are attracted to kitchens are successfully kept at bay. For companies that mass produce food that is shipped out nationwide, this responsibility is even more important. In late February of 2018, Triple T Specialty Meats, Inc. failed in their responsibilities.

Mass Salmonella Poisoning

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 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.

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 Posted on December 16, 2018 in Food borne illness

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.

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 Posted on November 24, 2018 in Food poisoning attorney

The outbreak of the Salmonella Reading strain has infected 164 people in 35 states as of November 5, 2018. The outbreak has affected people of all ages, from infants of not even a year old to 91-year-olds, of which 56% are female. Out of the known 135 infected people, 63 have been admitted to the hospital and one has been reported dead in California. If you are experiencing an illness caused by food poisoning, contact a food poisoning lawyer to find out if your injuries are eligible for compensation.

Local and state departments are trying to figure out the cause by questioning the affected people about the food they consumed in the week prior to their illness. 44 (52%) out of 85 people questioned have reported that they were either preparing or consuming turkey bought raw, which includes turkey pieces, ground, and whole turkey. The turkey products were bought from different stores and were of different brands. Three out of these 85 people got infected post the consumption of turkey by their pets as raw ground turkey was found in their pet food. The other three people were working in a place that processes turkey or were living with someone who works at a turkey processing facility.

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 Posted on November 15, 2018 in Food poisoning attorney

Recently, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that 92 people across 29 states have fallen ill due to consumption of raw chicken supposedly infected by Salmonella. While 21 people have been hospitalized, no one has died. The salmonella is resistant to numerous antibiotics typically used to treat such infections.

“The outbreak strain of Salmonella was found in live chickens and in many types of raw chicken products, indicating it might be widespread in the chicken industry,” said the CDC.

The CDC can not advise people on specific precautionary steps to avoid the contaminated chicken products because no common supplier has been found. Proper hand washing and thorough cooking of all chicken products are the best precautions as of now.

The symptoms of those infected with salmonella include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.

How are Food Poisoning Lawsuits Handled?

In Illinois, strict product liability, breach of warranty, and negligence laws can be used for food poisoning claims.

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 Posted on November 11, 2018 in Salmonella

A recent Salmonella outbreak has touched the lives of many individuals across the the United States. As of October 4, 2018, 27 people across 16 states had been infected by the illness. Six more states - Oklahoma, Texas, Hawaii, Kansas, New Mexico, and Washington - have reported cases of the illness since then, with the number of impacted individuals rising to 120 as of October 23, 2018.

Fortunately, there has not been any loss of life even though 33 people have been hospitalized. The outbreak began in early August, 2018 and the average age of people who have fallen ill is reportedly 42; 59% of affected individuals are male.

As part of the investigation, state and local health departments officials interviewed ill people about their food intake and exposure in the days preceding the illness. Out of 71, 66 individuals (93%) reported eating ground beef at home as per the interview.

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 Posted on October 29, 2018 in Salmonella

A woman filed the first lawsuit against Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches after she developed a Salmonella Montevideo infection after consuming the sprouts within her sandwich. The woman alleges she had purchased the #12 Beach Club Sandwich on December 18, 2017 and experienced severe discomfort soon after its consumption.

On January 8, 2018, the plaintiff sought medical attention, where the lab tests returned as positive for Salmonella Montevideo. Later, she went though unique stages of the infection. She was repeatedly given antibiotics to treat different problems, but she did not recuperate from the severe contamination. She started experiencing nausea, painful diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Later, she even started to develop hemorrhoids along with a urinary tract infection.

On January 19, 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo infections from Jimmy John's raw sprouts. CDC further announced 10 confirmed cases across Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin where the woman who brought the lawsuit was one of the 10 confirmed cases. Symptoms of Salmonella may include headache, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, chills, fever, nausea, and dehydration.

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 Posted on October 25, 2018 in Food poisoning attorney

A Cyclospora outbreak caused by contaminated salads served at McDonald's appears to be over after affecting 551 people. Salads supplied by Fresh Express and sold at McDonald's across the Midwest were the likely source of this outbreak that led to 24 people being hospitalized. The distribution of affected persons by state is:

• Connecticut (1)
• Florida (1)
• Iowa (99)
• Illinois (274)
• Indiana (10)
• Kentucky (9)
• Michigan (2)
• Minnesota (11)
• Missouri (52)
• Nebraska (5)
• New York City (1)
• Ohio (16)
• South Dakota (18)
• Tennessee (1)
• Wisconsin (10)

The patients in Connecticut, Florida, New York City, Tennessee, and Virginia had purchased salads in one of the Midwest states. A food safety attorney, Fred Pritzker, said, “Producers and processors are going to have to do a better job sourcing ingredients to make sure these parasitic outbreaks end. It's inexcusable that someone would be sick for months just because they bought a salad from a fast food restaurant.” Fred Pritzker has represented many clients in cyclospora lawsuits. McDonald's halted the sale of salads in 3000 outlets across 14 states in mid-July.

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 Posted on October 12, 2018 in Food poisoning attorney

Being exposed to a foodborne pathogen can have serious consequences, some of which many people are familiar with. Many people have suffered food poisoning and the gastrointestinal discomfort that comes along with it. Similarly, those with food allergies are likely all too familiar with the effects of being exposed to a food that is dangerous for them to eat. But while food poisoning and the side effects of food allergies may be somewhat familiar for a large number of people, death from food poisoning or a food allergy certainly is not.

Tragically, a person died after having an allergic reaction to an item served by the food chain Pret a Manger; the connection between the food and the death has recently been confirmed. The death is the second associated with the company.

Death After Allergic Reaction

According to a news report published in CNN, the customer died from an allergic reaction after eating a “super-veg rainbow flatbread.” The item contained a yogurt sauce that was labeled as dairy-free. However, testing of the product, which is manufactured by Coyo, confirmed that it did, in fact, contain a dairy protein.

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 Posted on August 08, 2018 in Food poisoning attorney

In early summer 2018, a Salmonella outbreak caused 77 people in nine states to become ill. An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked the outbreak to pre-cut melons distributed by Caito Foods, LLC of Indianapolis, Indiana. The melons were purchased in packages of pre-cut watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and fruit medley packages supplied to grocery stores in Florida, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

When an individual suffers from food poisoning because of another party's negligence, the victim is entitled to pursue compensation for his or her damages through a food poisoning claim. Caito Foods, LLC recalled all packages that could have potentially contained the contaminated melons.

Who Suffered from Salmonellosis?

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