Maryland Food Poisoning Lawyer

Contaminated Food and Foodborne Illness

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 48 million Americans experience food poisoning or foodborne illness each year. Of the 48 million, 128,000 people are hospitalized each year because of foodborne illnesses and 3,000 people die from severe cases of food poisoning.

Restaurants, cafeterias, and caterers are required to follow health department rules and regulations in storing and preparing food to reduce the risk that served food is contaminated by any germs.

Grocery stores, delis, and other businesses that sell ready-to-eat food or prepackaged food are responsible for ensuring that the foods are stored properly and that expired food is removed from the sales floor promptly.
But even with regulations in place, food poisoning continues to be a widespread problem. Tracing tainted food to a contaminated source can pose a challenge to your claim, which is why you must hire a food poisoning lawyer as soon as possible after you experience a foodborne illness.

Common Symptoms of Food Poisoning

Most cases of food poisoning manifest with a variety of flu-like symptoms, including diarrhea, upset stomach, nausea and vomiting, cramps, and fever. Some germs can cause more serious symptoms or lead to serious infections or even life-threatening conditions if left untreated.

Signs of serious food poisoning include a high fever (over 102 degrees), diarrhea that lasts more than three days or that contains blood, inability to keep liquids down, and dehydration signs including dry mouth, dizziness, and lack of urination.

After eating tainted food you may begin to experience sickness as soon as six hours after eating or drinking. Some illnesses may take up to two weeks to being showing signs.

Common Foodborne Illnesses

According to the CDC, scientists have identified more than 250 foodborne diseases, caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites, though toxins and chemicals can also cause illnesses. The five most common types are:

• Norovirus: a highly contagious virus that manifests similarly to the flu with vomiting and diarrhea.
• Salmonella: Salmonella is estimated to cause about 1.35 million infections every year. While most people recover without specific treatment, some cases will be serious enough to require hospitalization. Salmonella infection signs include fever, stomach cramps, and diarrhea.
• Clostridium perfringens: estimated to cause nearly 1 million illnesses in the U.S. each year, this bacterium can thrive when foods are held at unsafe temperatures. Outbreaks are most common where large groups are served, such as in cafeterias or catered events. An infection can include stomach cramps and diarrhea.
• Campylobacter: In the U.S., Campylobacter causes an estimated 1.5 million illnesses each year, often linked to the consumption of raw or undercooked poultry or cross-contamination. Signs include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. For people with weakened immune systems, an infection can spread to the bloodstream and become life-threatening.
• Staphylococcus aureus (Staph): The CDC estimates that about 25 percent of people carry Staph on their person, which can allow it to easily contaminate food in unsanitary conditions. The bacteria can produce toxins in the food that are not killed by cooking. Signs include sudden nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.

Several other germs, though less common, are still seen often and are more likely to lead to serious illness and hospitalization. These include:

• Listeria: Foods contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may cause a serious infection. The CDC estimates that 1,600 people get listeriosis each year. This infection is most likely to affect pregnant women and their newborns, adults 65 or older, and people with a weakened immune system. Signs of infection can include fever and flu-like symptoms, but may also lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or a life-threatening infection for a newborn.
• Escherichia coli (E. Coli): E. coli are a diverse group of bacteria that can cause many different kinds of illnesses, such as UTIs, respiratory illness, and pneumonia. The most common is Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and signs of an infection include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Some infections can be life-threatening.
• Vibrio: an estimated 80,000 people get vibriosis infections in the U.S. each year, often from consuming raw or undercooked seafood. Common signs include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, and chills. People with a weakened immune system are at greater risk for severe illness.

Frequently Asked Questions About Food Poisoning in Maryland

Q: How Long Do I Have to File a Food Poisoning Claim?

Maryland’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims is three years after the date of the incident. However, you need to get started on your claim as soon as possible. Proving a food poisoning case can be time-consuming and challenging, so you want to give your Maryland lawyer as much time as possible to investigate your claim and trace the contamination back to the source.

Q: What Foods are Most Likely to Cause Illness?

Any food can make you sick if it is contaminated. However, some foods are more frequent offenders than others.
The CDC notes that raw animal products are most likely to be contaminated among food groups. This includes:

• Raw or undercooked meat and poultry
• rRaw or lightly cooked eggs
• Unpasteurized milk and its products
• Raw shellfish

Increasingly, fruits and vegetables are being linked with more foodborne illnesses and food poisoning outbreaks. Food contamination can occur in the field, during processing, or during preparation or storage through cross-contamination.

Q: Who Are Most At Risk for Foodborne Illnesses?

Anyone can get food poisoning, however, some people and groups are more likely to encounter serious illness or injury. These include:

• Adults aged 65 or older
• Children aged 5 and younger
• Pregnant women
• People with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses

You may be more likely to have a food poisoning claim if you or your loved one are in one of these more at-risk groups. However, even otherwise healthy individuals can still develop serious illnesses and conditions from severe food poisoning. If you or your loved one have made a trip to the emergency room or been hospitalized due to food poisoning, you should consult with a Maryland food poisoning lawyer as soon as possible.

Q: When Should I File a Claim for Contaminated Food?

You should consult with an experienced attorney as soon as possible after you suspect food poisoning. Your legal counsel will need to investigate your claim and trace the contamination back to the source before filing a claim against any liable parties involved. Unless specific tests are done to identify bacteria or germs, food poisoning can be difficult to prove, especially since many symptoms are flu-like. You’ll want to minimize the amount of time between your illness and pursuing a claim so that your legal team can have a better understanding of what caused your illness.

You can schedule a free consultation with a lawyer at Regan Zambri Long to discuss your claim and next steps.

Q: Who Is Liable for Food Poisoning?

Anyone who was in contact with the food before it reached you can be liable in a food contamination claim. This could be the company that grows or raises the food, food processing companies, a retailer or supplier, or an establishment that didn’t ensure employees follow safe handling, storing, and/or preparing procedures.

Q: Can I Sue For Food Poisoning?

Yes, you can bring a lawsuit against any liable party if you can prove that the food served caused your illness. However, in many mild cases, your legal counsel may advise foregoing a food poisoning lawsuit, as it may not be worth it to pursue a claim unless you suffered serious losses and damages because of it.

If you have been hospitalized, must receive continuing treatment, or suffer other serious injuries as a result of your illness, a food poisoning lawsuit may be in your best interest.

A free case evaluation with a Regan Zambri Long attorney will help you understand your legal rights and options, as well as the viability of your claim.

Why Should I Hire Regan Zambri Long as my Maryland Food Poisoning Lawyer?

The attorneys at Regan Zambri Long have more than a century of cumulative experience with personal injury claims, including product liability and food poisoning cases. We are well-versed in Maryland’s laws and statutes and we will fight tirelessly to hold the liable parties accountable for their negligence. Where necessary, we will use international laws and agreements to hold foreign parties accountable.

At Regan Zambri Long, you can trust that we are doing our utmost to recover the compensation you deserve. Businesses have a responsibility to ensure that the food products they supply are safe to consume. If negligence causes you or your loved one serious illness, you deserve justice.

Schedule your free consultation today online or by calling 202-960-4596.