JBS Salmonella Newport Outbreak Reaches 22 States, 120 Cases Reported

 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.

The ground beef produced by JBS Tolleson, Inc. is the probable cause of this Salmonella outbreak, based on the evidence. On October 4, 2018, JBS Tolleson ordered a recall of about 6.5 million pounds of beef products.
The symptoms of those infected with salmonella include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.

Precautionary and Reactionary Steps to be Taken for Food Poisoning

• Restaurants /retailers should not serve/sell recalled food products.
• Stop eating any recalled food product. Send it back to the store or throw it away.
• Contact a healthcare provider if you believe you got ill from consuming recalled food.
• Keep records of your purchases in order to help with traceback.
• Consult a good lawyer before talking to an insurance company.

Food Poisoning Claims and Monetary Damages

If you have fallen ill after eating something contaminated with Salmonella or anything else, you may be entitled to compensation. The damages you can receive include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Painful deformity
• Loss of a normal life, and
• Pain and suffering

Proving Food Poisoning

A victim of food poisoning bears the burden of proof in such cases. You have to prove that the contaminated food caused your illness, which can be rather difficult. If a restaurant has history of careless execution in food-handling as per the health department, inspection reports or prior customer complaints, it can be easier to prove your case. Any kind of evidence of food mishandling, unsafe storage, preparation, etc. by the restaurant can be used to prove your case. When our firm evaluates a food poisoning case, we look for evidence of inappropriate food-handling and storage practices, discrepancy in maintaining a food preparation and storage log, and failure to apply a suitable food quality inspection system.

Contact a Food Poisoning Personal Injury Lawyer

At Newland & Newland, LLP, our goal is to help people who are experiencing food poisoning or a food-related illness due to the negligent handling of food. Our food poisoning lawyers are compassionate, professional, and knowledgeable in Illinois personal injury law. We can help you get the compensation you deserve. If you are experiencing an illness caused by food poisoning, call us at today at 312-981-0409, or a fill out our online contact form. We serve clients in the Arlington Heights, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Libertyville, Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, and Itasca areas.

(image courtesy of Ashley Baxter)