Food Poisoning and Food Injury
Each year, according to the Center for Disease Control, over 76,000,000 Americans are poisoned by the food they eat and 325,000 of these cases are serious enough to warrant in-patient hospital care. Tragically, it is estimated that 5000 people in our country will die from food poisoning this year.
What is food poisoning?
It an infection caused by food-borne organisms. Sometimes, there are no symptoms from food poisoning; usually there are a range of symptoms from mild (cramping, headache, vomiting) to severe (dehydration, high fever, bloody diarrhea). The human body can be poisoned by over 250 diseases that result from bacteria – the most common food poisoning in our country results from botulism, campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, salmonella, shigella, and listeria. Other rising causes of food poisoning include Norwalk virus, Staphylococcus aureus, and hepatitis A.
And these toxins have all been injected as someone innocently has eaten tainted food or beverages.
Tainted, because food has been provided for consumption that has not been washed; or has been insufficiently washed (particularly, raw fruit and vegetables); or because the food has been contaminated by hands or food preparation equipment that has not been washed, and carries the infectious disease. Sometimes, the food has been tainted because of improper storage and vermin or insects (e.g., roaches) have infested the food storage area. Consideration of these methods of spreading disease sheds light on the importance of proper inspection and management of food sellers, restaurants, farmers, product manufacturers and the like: food poisoning is almost 100% preventable, and the victim is usually trusting and relying upon these professionals maintaining recognized health and safety standards.
What are the Symptoms of Food Poisoning?
The most common victims of food poisoning are young children and the elderly. Symptoms of food poisoning can occur within 24 hours to as long as 10 days after ingestion, and include:
- Abdominal Pain (Cramping)
- Blurred or Double Vision
- Confusion
- Convulsions
- Diarrhea (Sometimes Bloody)
- Difficulty Swallowing
- Droopy Eyelids
- Dry Mouth
- Fever
- Headache
- Joint Pain
- Loss of Appetite
- Loss of Balance
- Malaise (General Uneasiness)
- Muscle Aches
- Muscle Weakness
- Nausea
- Painful Urination
- Slurred Speech
- Stiff Neck
- Vomiting.
If one or more of these symptoms develops, then it is best to seek medical attention immediately, as some forms of food poisoning are deadly if not promptly and properly treated.
What About Food Recalls?
Food poisoning can be a unique experience, due to a restaurant’s negligence or a grocery store’s faulty refrigeration. However, there are times when entire brands of food items are toxic and must be removed from the marketplace. Food recalls are all too common these days; the latest food recalls are publicized by the federal government at www.recalls.gov/food.html (which combines the recalls reported by the Food and Drug Administration as well as the Food & Safety Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture).
What are Food Injuries (by Foreign Objects or Food Debris)?
Food can be served to restaurant patrons that masked foreign objects that can injure or kill if swallowed; these hidden dangers are also found in food products on store shelves, from baby food to cereal to canned goods. Here, injuries can include not only medical issues as well as the emotional damages that can result from these circumstances, particularly with insect remains or rodent parts are involved.
What Should You Do If You Have Been the Victim of Food Poisoning or Food Injury?
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or tragically killed by tainted food, or objects in food or food debris, then you may have the opportunity to seek justice if the food related injuries were caused because of another’s carelessness in keeping food safe when they had a legal duty to do so.
Our offices can help you and your family determine whether or not your experience meets the requirements of state or federal law for a legal claim as well as in filing and pursuing your lawsuit. Please contact our offices as soon as possible for a free initial consultation.
