California Food Poisoning Lawyer

Food Poisoning

Just how safe is the food you eat? Despite federal regulations and local inspections, more and more people in California and across the nation are contracting food poisoning from foods tainted with E-coli, salmonella, and other types of contamination.

Food poisoning is widespread and can be extremely dangerous. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that 76 million cases of foodborne disease occur each year in the United States. Foodborne illness results in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths annually. The elderly, infants, and those with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable to food poisoning. So are healthy people who are exposed to a very high dose of a toxic organism.

If you have contracted food poisoning, it is important to get prompt medical treatment. It's also wise to consult an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Please contact The Reeves Law Group in California, for effective representation in all types of food poisoning cases. Our attorneys have the experience and resources necessary to help victims of food poisoning recover monetary compensation for the damages they have suffered. The initial consultation is free of charge and you will pay no attorney fees unless we win money damages for you.

Types of Food Poisoning

You can contract food poisoning from food or beverages served at a fast food shop or an elegant restaurant, from fresh produce you prepare yourself, or from packaged foods. Food poisoning can be caused by a wide range of bacterial and viral pathogens, parasites, chemicals, and toxins, including:

• E-coli
• Hepatitis A
• Norovirus
• Salmonella
• Listeria
• Campylobacter
• Calicivirus, or Norwalk-like virus
• Giardia lamblia
• Cryptosporidia
• Cyclospora
• Clostridium botulinum (causes botulism)

Common Symptoms

Food poisoning can cause a broad array of health problems, including liver and kidney disease. However, diarrheal illness is perhaps the most common symptom. In food poisoning cases, diarrhea can be accompanied by:

• High fever (101.5 or higher)
• Blood in the stools
• Vomiting
• Dehydration

How an Outbreak Happens

Food poisoning can be caused by food handlers who are infected with a communicable disease or who do not wash their hands adequately after using the bathroom. Leaving foods at room temperature, failure to wash a knife or cutting board between uses and other food handling errors can cause some types of food poisoning. Produce can become contaminated if it is irrigated or washed with water containing human or animal waste.

Harmful contaminants can be added during the manufacturing process. For example, diethylene glycol, a poison used in antifreeze, was added to tooth paste and melamine, an ingredient normally used in plastic manufacturing, was used in pet foods manufactured in China.

Whether the food that poisoned you was prepared in a restaurant kitchen, at home, or in a food processing plant, our lawyers know how to trace the contaminant to its source and hold those who harmed you responsible. To speak to an experienced attorney about your food poisoning case, please contact The Reeves Law Group today at (800) 644-8000 for a free consultation and case evaluation.