Food Contamination

 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.

Common Causes of Food Contamination

An individual or a company is accountable for food-borne illness when it is:

• Using the food products past their expiration dates;
• Keeping the food preparation space untidy;
• Cooking the food inadequately before giving it to the customer; and
• Not training employees on necessary precautions to take while handling food items.

It is worth noting here that strict liability differs from negligence in food poisoning lawsuits. All food retailers and distributors fall under the purview of strict liability in preventing any harm to their customers. The individual who gets sick need not prove that the at-fault party was negligent. Everyone involved in the distribution right from start (manufacturer) to the one who gives it to the end consumer can be held responsible if it affects the customer adversely.

How to Identify Food Poisoning Symptoms

Food poisoning cases arise every day all over the world. Most of us have fallen ill after eating contaminated food at some time in our lives. Some severe cases of food poisoning have led to long-term sickness or have even proven to be fatal.

A few symptoms that can give you an indication that you have a food-borne illness include:

• Vomiting or nausea
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Stomach ache
• Dehydration
• Fatigue

Infants, elderly people, pregnant women, and the chronically ill need to be extra cautious. Usually, food poisoning symptoms show up six hours after consuming contaminated food.

Contact a Food Poisoning Personal Injury Lawyer

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

(image courtesy of Katie Smith)