312-981-0409
161 N. Clark Street, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60601
Serving Clients Across 7 Illinois Locations
Recent Blog Posts
McDonald's Cyclospora Food Poisoning Outbreak Ends
A Cyclospora outbreak caused by contaminated salads served at McDonald's appears to be over after affecting 551 people. Salads supplied by Fresh Express and sold at McDonald's across the Midwest were the likely source of this outbreak that led to 24 people being hospitalized. The distribution of affected persons by state is:
- Connecticut (1)
- Florida (1)
- Iowa (99)
- Illinois (274)
- Indiana (10)
- Kentucky (9)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (11)
- Missouri (52)
- Nebraska (5)
- New York City (1)
- Ohio (16)
- South Dakota (18)
- Tennessee (1)
- Wisconsin (10)
The patients in Connecticut, Florida, New York City, Tennessee, and Virginia had purchased salads in one of the Midwest states. A food safety attorney, Fred Pritzker, said, “Producers and processors are going to have to do a better job sourcing ingredients to make sure these parasitic outbreaks end. It's inexcusable that someone would be sick for months just because they bought a salad from a fast food restaurant.” Fred Pritzker has represented many clients in cyclospora lawsuits. McDonald's halted the sale of salads in 3000 outlets across 14 states in mid-July.
Allergic Reaction at Fast Food Chain Leads to Death
Being exposed to a foodborne pathogen can have serious consequences, some of which many people are familiar with. Many people have suffered food poisoning and the gastrointestinal discomfort that comes along with it. Similarly, those with food allergies are likely all too familiar with the effects of being exposed to a food that is dangerous for them to eat. But while food poisoning and the side effects of food allergies may be somewhat familiar for a large number of people, death from food poisoning or a food allergy certainly is not.
Tragically, a person died after having an allergic reaction to an item served by the food chain Pret a Manger; the connection between the food and the death has recently been confirmed. The death is the second associated with the company.
Death After Allergic Reaction
According to a news report published in CNN, the customer died from an allergic reaction after eating a “super-veg rainbow flatbread.” The item contained a yogurt sauce that was labeled as dairy-free. However, testing of the product, which is manufactured by Coyo, confirmed that it did, in fact, contain a dairy protein.
77 People Stricken with Salmonella After Eating Caito Melons
In early summer 2018, a Salmonella outbreak caused 77 people in nine states to become ill. An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked the outbreak to pre-cut melons distributed by Caito Foods, LLC of Indianapolis, Indiana. The melons were purchased in packages of pre-cut watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and fruit medley packages supplied to grocery stores in Florida, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
When an individual suffers from food poisoning because of another party's negligence, the victim is entitled to pursue compensation for his or her damages through a food poisoning claim. Caito Foods, LLC recalled all packages that could have potentially contained the contaminated melons.
Who Suffered from Salmonellosis?
Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to McDonald's Salads
As of late July 2018, 286 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclospora infection from victims in 15 states have been linked to a cyclospora outbreak connected to McDonald's salads. Although no deaths have been reported in conjunction with this outbreak, at least 11 people have been hospitalized.
Cyclospora is a parasite that causes infections in human hosts. When an individual becomes ill after consuming food or a beverage contaminated with cyclospora and the consumption could have been prevented if another party had taken greater care to prevent it, the victim may be entitled to recover monetary compensation for his or her damages through a food poisoning claim.
How Cyclospora is Spread
Dangerous cyclospora bacteria is spread through contaminated food and water. Person-to-person transmission is unlikely because when the bacteria is passed from a victim's body through excretion, it is not infectious for about another week.
Newland & Newland, LLP Wins Prestigious BBB Accreditation Award
Our team at Newland & Newland, LLP is proud to announce that we have been awarded the Better Business Bureau's Certificate of Accreditation. Our accreditation period began in June 2018 and will continue through May 2020. We plan to continue providing top notch legal services to our clients and continuing to be BBB certified for years to come.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) awards its Certificate of Accreditation to companies that exhibit its eight standards for trust. These are:
- Building trust;
- Being transparent;
- Advertising honestly;
- Telling the truth;
- Honoring promises;
- Being responsive;
- Embodying integrity; and
- Safeguarding privacy.
We were certified in recognition of our hard work in personal injury law, and real estate law.
Criteria for the Award
Although the BBB's eight standards for trust can seem fairly simple to achieve, each is comprised of numerous criteria a company must meet. For example, in order to meet the BBB's criteria for “advertising honestly,” a company must do the following:
60 Victims in Five States Afflicted with Salmonellosis
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 60 people in five states have fallen ill with salmonellosis, the illness linked to salmonella food poisoning. These 60 cases were directly linked to pre-cut melons that were available in packages of snackable melon slices as well as part of prepackaged fruit salads. The melon packages and fruit salads were largely supplied by food processor and distributor SpartanNash, but could also be found under the Caito Foods and Renaissance labels.
Victims in Illinois ranged in age from 23 to 87 years old. Illnesses linked to this outbreak have been recorded in Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.
Illness Linked to Pre-Cut Melons
Currently, the CDC is urging consumers not to purchase or consume precut melons from Walmart stores in Illinois and the other states where illnesses have been reported. As the investigation continues, the CDC may add other food retailers to its list to avoid. If you have the melons in your home, throw them away.
Continuing E. Coli Outbreak Kills Five, Sickens Close to 200
Food poisoning is no joke. There are many different ways you can become ill from consuming contaminated food, and some of these illnesses can have serious complications or even result in death.
One particular outbreak we are following, the E.Coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma region of Arizona, has resulted in five deaths as of May 30, 2018. We have discussed this outbreak before – in our last blog post on the outbreak, it had sickened 98 victims in 22 states, and no deaths had been reported in conjunction with it. Though E.Coli symptoms usually subside within a few days through rest and rehydration, it can progress to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a dangerous kidney condition that can result in a victim's death if he or she does not receive prompt, appropriate medical care. HUS is treatable with dialysis, IV fluid replacement, and blood and platelet transfusions, but can lead to kidney failure when the victim does not receive this care.
E.Coli Outbreak Reaches 25 States, Kills One
An E.Coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma region of Arizona has been making its way across the United States for more than two months now. The last time we discussed this outbreak, 98 people in 22 states had fallen ill and no deaths had been reported. Now, the illness count is up to 121, illnesses have been reported in 25 states, and one person has died. That person was in California.
Although food poisoning is usually a minor issue, it can be deadly. Certain food-related illnesses are more likely to be deadly than others, but all can potentially lead to complications that put the victim at risk of suffering worsened symptoms and death.
How E.Coli Kills Victims
Egg-Linked Salmonella Outbreak Continues to Sicken Victims
In the weeks since we last reported on the salmonella outbreak that led to one of the largest egg recalls in United States history, the illnesses have only spread and the hospitalizations have only increased. As of May 2018, 207 million eggs have been recalled and 35 people have reported falling ill.
Eggs are one of the most commonly consumed foods in the United States. In addition to being a breakfast staple, they are a critical ingredient in many baked goods and an emulsifier for many food products. Eggs as ingredients are difficult to avoid, which means that an individual can still be at risk of contracting salmonella or another type of food poisoning if he or she chooses to avoid eggs.
Updated Outbreak Facts and Statistics
As of May 2018, these are the facts about the salmonella outbreak:
98 Ill in New E.Coli Outbreak
A recent E.Coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce has 98 victims ill as of late April 2017. This number could be higher and continue to grow because there is typically a two-week period between when an individual begins to experience E.Coli poisoning symptoms and when he or she is recognized to be a victim of an outbreak.
This outbreak was linked to romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma, Arizona growing region. Food poisoning experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise consumers to avoid all romaine lettuce unless they can personally verify that it was not grown in the Yuma region. Restaurants and other food retailers have been advised not to sell romaine lettuce from the region.
Currently, 98 people from 22 states have fallen ill from consuming the contaminated lettuce. Although no deaths have been reported in conjunction with this outbreak, 46 people have been hospitalized. 10 of these hospitalized victims suffered from hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS.
-
Foreclosure and Bankruptcy
Visit Website -
Real Estate and Estate Planning
Visit Website -
Personal Injury
Visit Website
Results listed are not a guarantee of future results.
Contact Our Firm
The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form.
I have read and understand the Disclaimer and Privacy Policy.
