So you got sick after eating food that was eventually recalled. Is that enough to prove it was the food producer’s fault?
Hundreds of people recently got sick after eating Foster Farms chicken products, according to the Department of Agriculture. The culprit turned out to be a dangerous, multi-drug resistant strain of salmonella Heidelberg. According to the Centers for Disease Control, salmonella food poisoning may cause “diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.” Onset of symptoms usually takes 12 to 72 hours and can last for days.
Although a case of salmonella poisoning does not usually require treatment in healthy adults, children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems can get sick enough to require hospitalization. Around thirty Americans die every year from salmonella.
Surprisingly, as of this article Foster Farms chicken has not been recalled. In fact, federal agencies did not even shut down the Foster Farms plants that produced the contaminated birds. Acting on its own, discount retailer Costco has recalled some of its chicken products that were made with Foster Farms fowl.
In Missouri, the mere fact that a person got sick some time after eating food that was subject to a recall is not sufficient proof that the food caused the injuries. Something more connecting the sickness to the recalled product will be necessary. For example, if the only food that everyone in your family ate in common was from one particular manufacturer, that may be enough to show it was that company’s fault.
If you suspect that contaminated food is to blame for the serious illness of yourself or a loved one, it is important to seek counsel right away. An experienced Missouri personal injury attorney will know the steps needed to preserve the evidence proving that someone else’s negligent actions caused the sickness.