Foodborne Illness

Despite advances in food  safety regulations, foodborne illness continues to be a common problem in the United States. Every year, contaminated food infects about 76 million people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you believe you or a loved one may have been the victim of foodborne illness, the Sacramento, California food poison attorneys can help you understand your rights as a consumer. Call the Arnold Law Firm today at 916-924-3100.

Contracting foodborne illness can be a dangerous experience. The illness can leave lasting injuries to the body’s organs and, in extreme cases, cause death. Such an illness can leave you with unmanageable medical bills. You could also lose wages if you are required to miss work for long periods during recovery. Fortunately, it may be possible to receive compensation for these expenses by contacting our firm and pursuing a claim against the party or parties responsible for your illness.

Most Americans will remember the highly publicized salmonella peanut butter outbreak of 2009, when unsanitary manufacturing conditions at peanut butter facilities were linked to salmonella infections in peanut butter consumers. These infections are reminders that foodborne illness continues to be a serious problem in the United States.

Indeed, contaminated food hospitalizes about 325,000 people every year. And about 5,000 people lose their lives each year to food poisoning. If you believe a family member may have lost their life to foodborne illness, it may be possible to file a wrongful death claim.

Foodborne disease is caused by consuming contaminated foods or beverages. Many different disease causing microbes, or pathogens, can contaminate foods, so there are many different foodborne infections. Some of the most common, according to the CDC, are:

• Campylobacter: The world’s most commonly identified cause of bacterial illness.  Persons infected with Campylobacter commonly experience fever, diarrhea and cramps.  Most infections are caused by consumption of undercooked chicken because the bacteria naturally live in the intestines of birds.  Most cases are minor and treatable with rest and fluid intake.  Campylobacteriosis is estimated to affect 2.4 million Americans every year.
• Salmonella: The bacterium which causes salmonellosis, whose symptoms typically include fever, diarrhea, and cramps.  In some cases, the bacterium can invade the bloodstream and cause serious infections.  Most victims are ill for 4-7 days and recover without medical treatment.  A small number of infections lead to Reiter’s syndrome, which can develop into chronic arthritis.  Salmonellosis can be avoided by thoroughly cooking foods and washing one’s hands after handling reptiles, birds or their excrement.
• E. coli O157:H7: A pathogen commonly found in cattle, often transmitted to humans who consume food contaminated with small amounts of cow feces.  Symptoms include severe diarrhea and cramps.  The bacterium causes illness by producing a toxin called Shiga toxin.  Treatment with antibiotics is not thought to be helpful.
• Calicivirus: One of the most common causes of the “stomach flu."  The virus commonly causes acute vomiting and is frequently transferred to food from an infected kitchen worker.  The virus can also be spread person-to-person.  Treatment mainly consists of prevention of dehydration; most victims will recover on their own.  Infections typically last 1 to 10 days, depending on which strain of virus caused the illness.

Most cases of foodborne illnesses are preventable. Proper processing and preparation of food should prevent infection. However, there are many steps in the production and distribution of food and food products where contamination can occur.

Determining the party responsible for foodborne illness can be very difficult. It takes an attorney experienced in food illness investigation to determine where the disease originated and how it was transmitted to an individual. Responsible parties can include farmers, ranchers, slaughterhouses, food processing plants, packaging facilities and distributors. If improperly stored food is sold by retailers, such as grocery stores or restaurants, those establishments may also be responsible for foodborne illness.

Some foods are more likely to be contaminated than others. Raw foods of animal origin, including milk, eggs, beef chicken, pork, fish and shellfish, are the most likely to be contaminated, according to the CDC. Raw fruits and vegetables are also more likely than other foods to be contaminated.

If you or a loved one may be the victim of food contamination, don’t delay. Contact the Sacramento, California foodborne illness lawyers at The Arnold Law Firm today. We have the experience necessary to build a successful food contamination product liability case. Call 916-924-3100.