Atlanta Lawyer for Food Poisoning
Your Atlanta food poisoning lawyer from the Orlando Firm can pursue your case if you or a loved one has fallen victim to food poisoning, whether from a recalled food product, an outbreak of something like salmonella, or negligently prepared food.
The Orlando Firm are your personal injury attorneys with the experience to win.
Atlanta Lawyer for Food Poisoning
Although anyone can get a foodborne illness, some people are more likely to develop one. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that each year 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die.
According to the CDC, many different disease-causing germs can contaminate foods, so there are many different foodborne infections. Researchers have identified more than 250 foodborne diseases. Most of them are infections caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Harmful toxins and chemicals can also contaminate foods and cause foodborne illness.
Common symptoms of foodborne diseases are nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. However, symptoms may differ among the different types of foodborne diseases. Most people with foodborne illness get better without medical treatment, but people with persistent symptoms should see their doctor. Symptoms can sometimes be severe, and some foodborne illnesses can even be life-threatening.
After seeking medical attention, it is important to find the right Atlanta attorney. The personal injury attorneys at The ORLANDO Firm, P.C., can determine if you are eligible for legal compensation due to significant injuries resulting from your illness.
Filing a Food Poisoning Lawsuit
The Georgia Legislature has passed the Georgia Food Act, found under O.C.G.A. § § 26-2-20 through 26-2-41. It is a customer protection statute that prevents production, distribution, sale, or service of adulterated, mislabeled, or misbranded foods to customers in Georgia.
By law, the food or drink is considered adulterated if it contains, among other things: foreign objects not intended for human consumption, products that include high levels of pesticides or other toxins, contaminated meat or the meat of a diseased animal, as well as products prepared in dirty or unhygienic conditions.
Offenses of the Georgia Food Act can generate both criminal charges and prospective civil liability cases.
If you decide to file a food poisoning lawsuit, know that these lawsuits are best handled by a trial attorney who has experience in the areas of food safety and foodborne illnesses. Our attorneys at The ORLANDO Firm, P.C., have handled many different types of food poisoning cases, and are knowledgeable about the latest medical research concerning foodborne and waterborne diseases.
Choose the Right Food Poisoning Attorney
There are a lot of potential defendants in any foreign objects or food poisoning lawsuit. Any company or person associated with the production, product packaging, storage, distribution, preparation, or sale of a recalled or unsafe food or beverage might have potential liability for health problems or death suffered by the consumer.
Defendants might include individuals who caused the meat to become contaminated during the process of slaughtering or handling the raw meat. It might also include farmers who negligently caused fruit and vegetables to become contaminated during their growth.
Trucking companies could also be potential defendants if they failed to transport or store the food or beverage safely. Owners of restaurants, employers, and even event hosts who provided their guests with contaminated food may have potential liability because of the consumer’s health problems.
Cases can include claims of negligence, negligence per se, breach of contract, warranty, and statutes that impose strict liability for defective products.
There are many food poisoning attorneys in Atlanta, Georgia. However, it’s crucial to choose the right one. The attorneys at The ORLANDO Firm, P.C., care for their clients. We will do their best to make sure that you make the recovery to which you are entitled. While we cannot guarantee the outcome of your case, we promise to provide you with legal representation aimed at helping you through a difficult and painful time of your life. And if we don’t win, you pay us nothing.
Factors in Estimating Food Poisoning Lawsuit Settlements
Clients who suffered food poisoning often want to know the potential value of a food contamination case. Every case is different and consists of a unique set of factors. Therefore, calculating the estimated compensation amount is challenging and requires an extensive case analysis by an experienced personal injury lawyer.
The severity of food poisoning and the potential amount of salary lost due to the inability to work because of food poisoning are some of the factors in estimating the potential settlement value.
In severe cases of food poisoning, individuals experience long term or irreversible consequences, leaving them unable to take care of themselves. These people are entitled to compensation for future medical and rehab expenses, including life care expenses, transportation, nursing home care, doctors’ appointment, and medications.
However, it can be tricky to prove that the food you ate was contaminated. A public health official might find a link between food products you consumed and your illness. If that isn’t the case, you’ll have to submit leftover food scraps for testing.
If the most likely source of contamination has been consumed or disposed of, look for the bag, can, or container that the food was in. Dig up a receipt to prove you bought the product in question. A medical professional’s diagnosis confirmed by stool samples or other tests can help determine that contaminated food made you ill. Also, it is important to keep your bills for possible compensation.
Many Atlanta food poisoning lawyers lack the experience necessary to handle this type of case. But, lawyers at The ORLANDO Firm, P.C., have considerable expertise in the areas of food safety and foodborne illnesses, as well as Atlanta catastrophic injury and more. If you want to learn more about the potential value of your claim, contact us. The initial consultation is free.
Schedule a Free Legal Consultation with our Salmonella Lawyer
The top five germs that cause illnesses from food eaten in the United States are:
- Norovirus
- Salmonella
- Clostridium perfringens
- Campylobacter
- Staphylococcus aureus (Staph)
Also, some organisms (called waterborne pathogens) can be transmitted through drinking water or through pool water that you accidently imbibe.
A lot of cases of food poisoning lead to reasonably mild gastroenteritis, which normally resolves within a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Some germs don’t cause as many illnesses, but when they do, illnesses are more likely to lead to hospitalization. Those germs include:
- Clostridium botulinum (botulism)
- Listeria
- Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia (E. coli) O157
- Vibrio
Many food poisoning cases involve one person or a small group of people who are usually part of the same household or another group. Nevertheless, there are cases of extensive outbreaks of food poisoning which affects numerous members of the consuming public. Most outbreaks of food poisoning include food products contaminated with E. coli or Salmonella pathogens.
Salmonella is one of the most common types of food poisoning. The side effects can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and other serious health conditions. In addition, intake of Salmonella pathogens can result in an infectious disease called Salmonellosis, which sometimes leads to a potentially debilitating condition called Reactive Arthritis (“Reiter’s Syndrome”).
Our Food Poisoning Lawyers Want to Help
Kids, pregnant women, senior adults, as well as individuals who are immunocompromised are the most at risk for suffering complications occurring from food poisoning. If you suspect some of these individuals got a foodborne illness, visit a doctor immediately.
Also, if you are experiencing severe abdominal pain, disorientation, persistent vomiting, or if you have diarrhea for more than 48 hours, you should also seek medical attention. Drink plenty of liquids, avoid dairy and food containing caffeine. Do not take solid foods or anti-diarrheal medication unless your doctor told you to do so.
Report the incident to the appropriate state and federal agencies: the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the U. S. Department of Agriculture, or the U. S. Food & Drug Administration.
If you or a loved one has suffered from a foodborne illness, please seek medical attention first and foremost. Then, contact The ORLANDO Firm, P.C., and schedule a free consultation. We are just a phone call away. Please call us at 404-373-1800 or toll-free at 1-866-373-1800. If you are unable to come to our office, we can visit you in your home or hospital room. There may be time limits on filing your claim, so it is important to seek legal counsel as quickly as possible.
And don’t forget, if we don’t win your case, you pay us nothing.
The Orlando Firm are your personal injury attorneys with the experience to win.