Sacramento Food Poisoning Attorneys
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Contaminated food hospitalizes over 325,000 people every year, with approximately 5,000 people losing their lives each year due to severe bouts of food poisoning.
If you or a loved one may have been the victim of foodborne illness, our food poisoning attorneys in Sacramento can help you understand the rights you have as a consumer. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your injuries. We offer free case assessments and only get paid if we recover compensation for your claim.
To find out how we can help, call us today at (916) 777-7777 and let us review the details of your claim for free.
Sources of Food Poisoning and Foodborne Illnesses
Due to the number of people that can handle food during its transition from the producer to the consumer, it can be very difficult to determine where foodborne illnesses originate.
In fact, it often takes the knowledge of experienced investigators to trace the origins of a particular outbreak back to its original source.
If you have been a victim of a food poisoning, there are a number of sources that can be investigated and potentially held accountable for your illness. Our team of lawyers and industry experts can help to explore these areas and use the information that we uncover to build a case for your compensation.
Some of these can include:
- Farmers
- Ranchers
- Slaughterhouses
- Food processing plants
- Packaging facilities
- Distributors
.... just to name a few.
If improperly stored food is sold by retailers, such as grocery stores or restaurants, those establishments may also be responsible for foodborne illness.
Foods That Are More Susceptible to Carrying Bacteria
With the advent of large scale farming, the chances of food products becoming contaminated has increased greatly.
This has been compounded by the various chemicals and other dangerous ingredients that are often used in the fertilizers and pesticides that are used on many crops throughout the country.
While poultry and beef are the most common sources of food poisoning cases, there are a number of other products that can carry the bacteria that can poison those that consume them.
Some of these include (but are not limited to):
- Tuna
- Eggs
- Leafy greens
- Cheese
- Peanut butter
- Oysters
- Potatoes
- Ice cream
- Berries
- Sprouts
In light of the above, it is important to look closely at all of the food that you purchase and where you purchase it from, to try and minimize your chances of getting sick from eating your food.
Common Bacteria Found in Food Poisoning Cases
Foodborne diseases are generally caused by foods or beverages having been exposed to or have been contaminated by a dangerous fungus or microbe.
As farming techniques have developed and the sizes of our crops and abattoirs have increased over time, a large variety of disease-causing microbes, or pathogens have also developed and begun to contaminate our food supply. In some instances, these are also water borne, so that in effect, as the crops and livestock are consuming the water that is available to them, they are also ingesting these organisms.
According to the CDC, some of the most common microbes include (but are not limited to):
- Campylobacter: The worlds most commonly identified cause of bacterial illness. Persons infected with Campylobacter typically 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 ones 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 the prevention of dehydration, which most victims will recover from on their own. Infections typically last 1 to 10 days, depending on which strain of virus caused the illness.
It's important to note that most cases of foodborne illnesses are preventable simply by processing and preparing food in a hygienic environment. Unfortunately, there are often many steps in the production and distribution of food and food products where contamination can occur.
How An Attorney Can Help
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.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a foodborne illness, consider employing the services of a competent personal injury attorney. Your lawyer will be able to trace the origins of the defective items and pinpoint who was responsible for making you sick.
At the Arnold Law Firm, our team of attorneys work with a number of industry professionals to help determine who is at fault as quickly as possible. We then use this information to help build a robust argument for your compensation claim.
Contact Our Law Firm Today
Have you or someone you love suffered from a food poisoning incident? If so, we can help explore your legal options and determine if you have grounds to file a damages lawsuit.
With a team consisting of over 15 attorneys and 23 staff members, we have approximately 200 years of combined experience and have won MILLIONS in successful verdicts and settlements for our clients.
With our main office located on Howe Avenue in Sacramento, for more than three decades the law offices of the Arnold Law Firm have been proudly fighting for the rights of injury victims throughout Sacramento County.
To find out more, please contact us at (916) 777-7777. A member from our intake staff will quickly collect some information about your case then refer you to one of our attorneys to discuss the merits of your claim.