Belleville Food Poisoning Lawyer

Food poisoning describes a variety of illnesses which may result when a person eats contaminated or undercooked foods. Most people understand that food needs to be handled, stored, and prepared in a certain way to ensure that no illness results. Unfortunately, since many of us rely on others to produce and prepare our food, we can never be sure those standards are being met.

If you or a loved one becomes ill after eating contaminated food, contact our Belleville personal injury lawyers at The Cates Law Firm, LLC at 618-277-3644 to find out how we can help you.

Causes of Food Poisoning

Every year, thousands of Americans become extremely ill, sometimes fatally ill, due to undercooked, poorly stored, or contaminated food products. These illnesses can result from any of the following causes:

• Failure to follow harvesting guidelines
• Failure to follow sanitation guidelines of livestock
• Failure to properly wash food products to remove pesticides
• Failure to properly store food items
• Failure to properly package food items
• Failure to properly cook food items
• Failure to properly sanitize area for food preparation
• Failure of worker’s handling food to properly sanitize their hands
• Failure to perform safety tests to ensure food is not contaminated at time of packaging

The above is not an all-inclusive list, but merely a sampling of the many ways in which food can become infected with the bacteria that cause food poisoning. These bacteria can range from:

• Bacillus Cereus
• Botulism Toxin
• Camplyobacter
• E. Coli
• Salmonellae
• Shigella
• Staphylococcus
• Vibrio Cholerae

In addition to bacteria, parasites such as cryptosporidium or giardia can also contaminate food. Certain viruses can also be found in food and lead to extreme injury or suffering. Additionally, some foods contain naturally occurring toxic agents which require that the food be prepared in a certain way or illness will result. Pesticides which are improperly washed off of foods can also lead to food poisoning and severe injury or death, if ingested.

Food Poisoning Can Result in Serious Losses

Most of us have been the victim of food poisoning at least once in our lives. Thankfully, most of us have only suffered a mild form that didn’t result in anything more than a couple of hours of discomfort. For some, however, an episode of food poisoning can lead to life-altering, and sometimes life-threatening, illnesses. Like any other serious illness or condition, this can cause a major disruption in both the victim, and their family’s lives. This disruption is magnified if the victim is the sole breadwinner in the home and cannot work for extended periods of time.

If you become ill due to food poisoning, you may have the following losses:

• Disability
• Emotional distress
• Loss of quality of life or loss of normal life
• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Wage loss

Contact a Belleville Food Poisoning Lawyer From The Cates Law Firm, LLC Today

At The Cates Law Firm, LLC, we strive to ensure that every victim, and, if appropriate, their loved ones, receive compensation for losses due to food poisoning. If you, a friend, or a loved one has been seriously injured as a result of eating contaminated food, we are here to help with your claim.

Call our Belleville personal injury lawyers today at 618-277-3644 for your no cost, no obligation consultation, or contact us online and let us know how we can help you.