Three Dead, Five Ill After a Thanksgiving Luncheon at Antioch American Legion Hall

 Posted on December 04, 2016 in Food poisoning attorney

During the holiday season, churches and charitable organizations across the country host meals and social gatherings for the residents of their communities, particularly those residents who do not have close friends or relatives to visit for holiday celebrations. These gatherings are often organized and staffed by volunteers who, despite having kind intentions, do not always have the food handling skills necessary to safely serve others. Food may be kept at room temperature on long buffets to ensure that all guests have the chance to eat at these celebrations, potentially fostering harmful bacteria.

In November 2016, a community church in California hosted a Thanksgiving luncheon using food donated from local restaurants. Approximately 800 people attended the event. In the days that followed, eight of the attendees were admitted to local hospitals with food poisoning symptoms. Of the eight, three died.

Food Poisoning Compilations Can Be Deadly

Although it is rare for food poisoning to have severe complications, it does happen. Individuals with weak immune systems are more susceptible to suffering from food poisoning than those with healthy, strong immune systems. Young children, pregnant women, and the elderly are all groups that are at an increased risk of suffering from food poisoning and experiencing its more extreme complications. The eight people who became ill after eating the church-provided Thanksgiving meal discussed above were all elderly and had come to the luncheon from a nearby assisted living facility.

Know How to Recognize Food Poisoning Complications Before they Become Dangerous

In most healthy adults, food poisoning symptoms subside after a few days. Generally, all a food poisoning victim can do to help him- or herself recover is to stay hydrated and well rested. When food poisoning symptoms do not subside after a few days of resting and consuming easily-digestible foods and a sufficient level of liquids, the victim should seek medical attention.

A few signs that an individual may need medical intervention for his or her food-related illness include:

• Vomiting or diarrhea does not subside;
• A fever remains high;
• Signs of dehydration such as low urine output, dizziness, chronic headaches, and dry skin; and
• Weakened or paralyzed muscles.

Do not wait to seek medical attention if you experience any of these symptoms.

Work with an Experienced Rolling Meadows Food Poisoning Attorney

If you or a loved one have suffered from food poisoning because of another party's negligence, such as a food vendor or restaurant failing to practice safe food handling measures or a retailer failing to remove a contaminated product from its shelf, you may be entitled to recover monetary compensation for your damages related to the food poisoning. To learn more about pursuing a personal injury claim for a food poisoning case, contact our team of experienced food poisoning lawyers at Newland & Newland, LLP to schedule your initial consultation in our office. We serve clients in the Arlington Heights, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Libertyville, Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, and Itasca areas.

(image courtesy of GoToVan)