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If you’re suffering as a victim of food poisoning, the type of lawyer you typically need is a personal injury lawyer with experience handling foodborne illness and product liability claims. These attorneys represent people who have suffered harm due to the negligence of food producers, manufacturers, distributors, or restaurants. Food poisoning lawyers are knowledgeable about food safety regulations, improper food handling, and illness-causing bacteria, and they are skilled at investigating, negotiating, and litigating these cases.
A DC food poisoning lawyer can help individuals who have suffered foodborne illness or injury due to eating contaminated food navigate the legal process. They can file a personal injury claim, and work to seek fair compensation for victims’ losses including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other related damages.
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Food poisoning is an illness caused by consuming food or beverages that are tainted by contaminants such as harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, or mold. These contaminants can cause a range of food poisoning symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, and dehydration.
It can occur in multiple ways including when food is not cooked or stored properly, or when it comes into contact with contaminated surfaces, equipment, or even utensils. Some common sources of food poisoning include undercooked or raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, unpasteurized dairy products, and contaminated fruits and vegetables.
Some serious cases of food poisoning, such as botulism poisoning, can be catastrophic, particularly for our youngest population, our eldest population, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems. In the more severe cases, ingesting contaminated food can lead to hospitalization, and in rare cases, it can be fatal.
An estimated 600 million people become ill and 420,000 people die every year from contaminated food. In the United States, approximately 48 million people become ill, 128,000 require hospitalization, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne illnesses.
Keep in mind, however, that many cases of food poisoning go unreported each year. Not everyone who experiences symptoms of food poisoning seeks medical attention or reports the illness to the appropriate authorities. Furthermore, some cases of food poisoning may be misdiagnosed or attributed to other illnesses, leading to underreported cases.
Proving your case can be difficult because the symptoms of food poisoning that present can be caused by a variety of factors, and it may be difficult to pinpoint the exact source of the illness. Not all cases of food poisoning can definitively be proven.
Another component that makes proving food poisoning hard is the symptoms of food poisoning can vary widely among multiple parties and may not appear until hours or even days after ingesting contaminated food.
Do you have any of these symptoms? Go see a doctor immediately:
You can sue for food poisoning against anyone responsible for serving or selling you contaminated food. If you believe that your food poisoning was caused by the negligence of a restaurant, food manufacturer, or other food providers, you may be able to file a lawsuit to recover damages.
To bring about a food poisoning lawsuit under a negligence claim, you must be able to prove that the food provider breached their duty of care owed to you as their consumer. Additionally, you must be able to prove that this breached duty of care occurred because the food provider failed to take reasonable measures to ensure the safety of their products and that this breach was the direct cause of your illness.
The nature of food poisoning cases is challenging. It’s a process best undertaken with the help of an experienced attorney who is familiar with food safety, and causes of food poisoning, and has handled food contamination cases.
Depending on the circumstances, a food poisoning case can be both a criminal and a civil matter.
Food poisoning lawsuits are most commonly civil cases. A victim of food poisoning files a civil suit to recover compensation for damages such as medical treatment, lost income, pain and suffering, and other related costs.
A criminal food poisoning lawsuit may be brought against a food manufacturer, restaurant owner, or another food provider if their actions or negligence led to the illness or death of their consumer. Criminal charges may also be filed against individuals who intentionally or recklessly tamper with food products or restaurants that knowingly serve contaminated food that causes illness to their customers.
Regan Zambri Long’s personal injury attorneys are very knowledgeable about foodborne illness claims in Washington, DC. Food poisoning cases can be hard to prove, but our lawyers will investigate your case to prove the negligence of the restaurant, cafeteria, business, or another food provider that sold you contaminated food.
With Salvatore J. Zambri as the lead attorney, our team will be sure to advocate on your behalf to our greatest abilities. He has decades of civil trial experience in Washington area courts and has won millions of dollars on behalf of his clients in their personal injury cases.
Call Regan Zambri Long for your no-obligation, free consultation today. We are here to help you resolve your legal issue and to help you receive full and fair compensation in your personal injury lawsuit.
Have you or your loved one sustained injuries in Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia? Regan Zambri Long PLLC has the best lawyers in the country to analyze your case and answer the questions you may have.