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If you’ve been diagnosed with hepatitis A, you may be able entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and continued care. Our food poisoning lawyers can help.
You have a right to expect the food you consume to be safe and sanitary. When individuals or companies fail to provide you with safe food, they must be held accountable for their negligence. Consult with an experienced hepatitis A food poisoning lawyer from Regan Zambri Long as soon as possible.
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Hepatitis A is a highly contagious virus that infects the liver, which means companies must be diligent in making sure their employees and their food are not contaminated. Failure to do so could lead to an outbreak of hepatitis A. Although it is not usually a long-lasting illness, people with weakened immune systems or underlying conditions may be at an increased risk to develop severe or long-term complications from the virus.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with hepatitis A and you know or suspect it to be caused by eating contaminated food, you should consult with an experienced lawyer from Regan Zambri Long as soon as possible. Call today for a free case evaluation to help understand and determine your next steps. Schedule a consultation today online or by calling 202-960-4596.
You are not required to hire an attorney to pursue a claim for contaminated food, but it is in your best interest to contact one as soon as you suspect an illness. Success requires taking immediate action, which can be difficult if you are still sick with hepatitis A. An experienced food poisoning attorney will investigate your case and help you request the appropriate tests to prove that contaminated food or lack of food safety caused your illness.
When considering a law firm and attorney, look for one with experience with cases like yours and a track record of success. Your case will most likely be handled by a legal team, so it is important that you trust everyone involved to pursue fair compensation on your behalf.
Regan Zambri Long’s DC Metro area law offices have taken on many food poisoning product liability cases, and we can also take on yours. Our personal injury lawyers are experienced in hepatitis A claims and can help you navigate the legal process of claiming the compensation you are owed. Schedule a free consultation to discuss your next steps.
Claiming compensation in a food poisoning case can be challenging, as you and your legal team must prove that a specific food or dining experience caused your infection.
Because symptoms so often mimic the flu or other stomach bugs, many people may not realize they experienced food poisoning, and quick detection is often the key to proving a case.
When you can prove that a certain food or dining experience caused your illness, you can file a claim to hold the liable party or parties responsible.
Liable parties can include:
You can recover compensation for two kinds of losses: economic and non-economic.
An experienced food poisoning lawyer will review your case and help you calculate the value of the damages you suffered, taking into account the longevity of your illness and any future losses. You can schedule a free consultation with one our personal injury lawyers online or by calling 202-960-4596.
The hepatitis A virus most often causes short-term liver infections. People who get sick can experience symptoms for a few weeks or a few months, depending on the severity of the case, but the majority of infections see complete recovery and no lasting liver damage.
For some people, however, the disease can have serious complications including acute liver failure and even death. People most at risk for these complications include older adults and people with underlying health conditions such as liver disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported almost 12,500 cases of hepatitis A in the United States, though the number is likely higher due to the number of people who are never diagnosed.
The CDC reports seven states are currently experiencing a hepatitis A outbreak, including Maryland. A hepatitis A outbreak can be caused by food poisoning, many outbreaks result from person-to-person contact.
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious disease, which means that contamination can spread quickly and widely if appropriate food safety measures are not in place or followed.
When you consume food that has come in contact with the hepatitis A virus, you could develop an infection unless you have received the hepatitis A vaccine already. Additionally, if a food handler has hepatitis A, the virus can spread and contaminate your food.
Many cases of hepatitis A food poisoning come from an infected food handler who did not follow appropriate hygiene before preparing food. The germs then spread from the food preparer to the food, and then to you when you consume the food.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes that most cases of hepatitis A cannot be definitively linked to any specific cause. When cases can be linked, the leading cause is close contact with an infected person. However, contaminated food or water is another linked cause of hepatitis A cases, primarily due to food preparers who have hepatitis A.
Certain foods that are linked with U.S. outbreaks include shellfish, raw vegetables and fruits, especially berries, and salads.
Hepatitis A can also spread through cross-contamination. So even if your meal didn’t directly include a contaminated ingredient, if a knife, cutting board, or other preparation surface or tool was not properly sanitized between uses, the virus could infect your meal.
When you or your loved one is suffering from hepatitis A because of a certain food or dining experience, pursuing a legal case may be the furthest thing from your mind. However, if you must seek medical attention, or if your infection develops severe complications or turns into a long-term condition, you are entitled to compensation. The key to a successful case is a prompt diagnosis that links your illness to a particular meal.
The hepatitis A food poisoning lawyers at Regan Zambri Long are experienced in cases like yours and will move quickly to begin investigating your case and helping you secure medical documentation about your illness. We will shoulder the legal burden so that you can focus on healing and recovery.
Regan Zambri Long’s attorneys and law offices are consistently recognized by peers and the press alike as the best of the best. Whether negotiating a settlement or taking your case to trial, you can be assured that Regan Zambri Long will pursue justice on your behalf until we make a recovery in your favor.
Our legal team works on a contingency fee basis, so we don’t collect any payments until we’ve obtained a settlement or verdict on your behalf. With law offices in Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland, we’re ready and able to take on your hepatitis A food poisoning case anywhere in the DC Metro area.
Call 202-960-4596 today to schedule your free case evaluation and begin your journey toward justice.
Food establishments are required to report any cases of hepatitis A among their employees.
The FDA’s Food Code prohibits infected employees from working. Even if a diagnosis has not been obtained, food handlers should be excluded from work if they display hepatitis A symptoms, including diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. An employee should only return to work with approval from the regulating authority and, ideally, with medical documentation stating that the infection is gone.
Some common symptoms and signs of hepatitis A are common to other foodborne illnesses, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, stomach pain or abdominal pain, and joint pain. These are often early symptoms of a hepatitis A infection.
Other hepatitis A symptoms are more distinguishing, including:
If you experience any of these symptoms, you may consult a doctor to rule out hepatitis A., especially if you have never received a hepatitis A vaccine. Although most patients recover without medical treatment, hepatitis A can affect liver function and result in severe complications.
Most people who experience hepatitis A symptoms begin showing them within two to seven weeks after direct contact. Infections generally last two months or less, though some people may continue to feel ill for as long as six months.
An infected person can spread the virus to others for up to two weeks before showing any signs or symptoms.
Q: How is hepatitis A treated?
A blood test is used to determine whether someone has a hepatitis A infection. If taken early enough, a single dose of the hepatitis A vaccine may ward off a full infection. Usually, this is only effective within two weeks of exposure.
Most cases of hepatitis A do not require extensive medical care. A doctor will most likely recommend rest and adequate nutrition and hydration.
Severe cases are likely to require in-depth treatment or even a hospital stay. These cases may result in impaired liver function, liver transplant, or even death. Life-threatening infections are not common, but if you or your loved one suffers from a severe infection, you should consult with a Regan Zambri Long food poisoning lawyer for a free consultation.
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious disease and it is transmitted in several different ways. Contaminated food and water or a food service employee who has the disease can lead to someone contracting the disease through a case of food poisoning.
However, there are other ways it can be spread, including through drug use and person-to-person contact.
Hepatitis A is most commonly spread through fecal matter. This could be through contaminated water consumed directly or used in the production of food, the failure of food preparers to properly wash hands after using the bathroom or changing a diaper, or cross-contamination during the food preparation process.
Although most people recover from a hepatitis A infection without complications, some rare cases can turn into acute liver failure, which generally requires hospitalization and could even require a liver transplant.
Although hepatitis A does not cause liver disease, people infected with it who also have the liver disease will be at higher risk for additional complications within their livers.
At Regan Zambri Long, we know that every case is individual. Our attorneys review your case and take the actions that best serve you.
Founding member, senior partner, and vice president Salvatore Zambri is our key attorney for food poisoning cases. Best Lawyers named him 2020’s “trial lawyer of the year” for product liability litigation, and 2021 “best lawyer” for the same practice area. With 30 years of civil trial experience, Salvatore Zambri and his team are your top choice for a food poisoning product liability case.
Regan Zambri Long has law offices throughout the DC Metro area, including in Maryland and Virginia. You can schedule your free consultation today by calling 202-960-4596.
