Food Poisoning Lawyers

Welcome to the Food Safety Law website. Created by the food poisoning lawyers of Casey Gerry, this site is especially for people who have suffered from a foodborne illness, whether caused by a toxin in the food, or by a failure of safe food-handling procedures. This site will answer your questions about food safety, safe food handling practices, and what you need to do if you or a loved one has suffered from a serious foodborne illness.

Although the food supply in the United States remains one of the safest in the world, the federal Centers for Disease Control estimate that every year, 76 million Americans suffer foodborne illnesses, 300,000 of them so seriously that they require hospitalization. Every year, 5000 Americans die from foodborne illness. Preventing foodborne illness and death presents a major public health challenge.

A foodborne illness is any sickness caused by the ingestion of food. Although the term food poisoning is frequently used, most foodborne illnesses are not in fact the result of toxins, or poisons, chemicals created by the food itself, but are caused by one of several kinds of microorganisms present in the food. The commonest causes of foodborne illnesses are bacteria, including Salmonella, E.coli, Listeria, and Shigella. Some bacteria secrete toxins as they grow. For example Clostridium bacteria secretes botulin toxin, which can be fatal. Causes of food borneillness explains more about these dangerous micro organisms.

An estimated 55% of foodborne illnesses are caused by improper cooking and storage of foods. Fully 24% result from negligent hygiene by food handlers, especially the failure to wash hands before handling food. About 3% of cases are from an unsafe food source. Protect yourself from foodborne illness provides helpful advice about steps you can take to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

Produce may be more dangerous than meat, poultry, and dairy products. The Center for Science in the Public Interest tracked outbreaks of foodborne illnesses from 1998 to 2006 and found that the number of illnesses per outbreak was higher in produce than in any of the other categories. In illness outbreaks associated with produce, the number of illnesses averaged 40 cases, as opposed to 24.5 illnesses for beef, 23 for poultry, and 8.9 for seafood.

Symptoms of a foodborne illness may start within hours of eating the food, or they may be delayed as much as three days. Symptoms vary, depending on the microorganism causing the illness, and can include one or more of these:

• abdominal pain
• abdominal tenderness
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• bloody stools
• gastroenteritis
• fever
• headache or fatigue

In most cases of foodborne illness, the course of the sickness is a period of acute distress and symptoms, then a gradual recovery as the body rids itself of the toxic agent. Sometimes the acute stage is a matter of a few hours, but it may continue for days, with increasingly severe symptoms. If you suspect a foodborne illness, you should consult a healthcare provider as soon as possible, to determine the type and severity of your illness and the proper steps to take. With young children, the elderly, people with compromised immune systems or with severe chronic illness, time is of the essence. A prompt medical evaluation and response may make the difference between an unpleasant episode and a life-threatening illness.

In addition to individual illness and suffering, food contamination and the resulting illnesses impose significant economic and social strains. In the U.S., medical costs and lost productivity caused by foodborne diseases cost more than $35 billion annually.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured by foodborne illness, especially an illness caused by negligence on the part of growers, shippers, packagers or sellers, or by a store or restaurant’s failure to follow safe food handling procedures, you may have a case against the negligent parties.

You should discuss your situation with a lawyer who is experienced in food poisoning claims. It is important to follow up on this matter as soon as possible after the illness, while evidence is still available and access to witnesses and others involved is easiest.

About Casey Gerry

Casey Gerry is one of the oldest and most respected plaintiff’s personal injury law firms in California. Casey Gerry’s food poisoning lawyers have worked over several decades with people who have been seriously injured as a result of negligent food handling practices and other causes of foodborne illness. Casey Gerry can help tells you more about Casey Gerry’s record in securing fair and just compensation for its clients.