It is scary when there is an outbreak of contaminated food. Lives are in danger. Plus, there can be devasting consequences. Reporting the incident is just one step. It is important to know the others to receive the most compensation after your illness.
About Foodborne Illness
Each year, millions of people in the United States get sick from contaminated food. Symptoms of food poisoning include upset stomach, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and dehydration. Also, symptoms may range from mild to severe. Even though millions become sick, the FDA only conducted 156,000 food-safety inspections between 2010 and 2017. This averages less than 20,000 per year. Plus, the food isn’t labeled properly. The food stamps only have the country of origin and no sourcing information. This does little to prevent the myriad of bacteria, viruses, and parasites lurking on foods.
Outbreak Contaminated Food Steps
After eating outbreak contaminated food, there is very little to do to stop the illness once it started. However, it is important to stay hydrated. You lose an enormous amount of fluids during a bout of food poisoning. This is why it is important to drink plenty of fluids. Whether or not you feel up for it, take frequent sips of water, apple juice, broth, bouillon or an isotonic energy drink with electrolytes. Pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people with serious medical conditions are at an especially high risk of dehydration from food poisoning.
It is important to seek medical attention if you suspect you ate outbreak contaminated food. Make sure to keep track of all bills and tests performed. This makes it easier to file your claim after the injury.
Reporting Illness
Most medical professionals report food poisoning cases to the local health department. Then, investigators piece together reports of the restaurant or store as the source of the outbreak. However, if you do not seek medical attention, you can still report to your local city or county health department. If you think you got sick from a packaged product, check the lists of recalls and alerts from the FDA. Then, consider reporting the product if it’s not already on the list. Be aware that the FDA will not get back to you any time soon. Recently, the agency recalled a bad batch of frozen vegetables produced a year and a half ago. This is why it is important to seek counsel from a complex litigation attorney.
Legal Help
It is important after recovering from an illness from outbreak contaminated food to contact a complex litigation attorney like those found at The Michael Brady Lynch Firm. These companies used unsafe growing practices that made you sick. Now, you are left in a weakened state and full of medical bills. This is why a free consultation is so important. We will listen to your case and help any way we can. Contact us today.