West Palm Beach Injury Lawyer Blog

Our Palm Beach food poisoning lawyer closely follows all reported instances of possible food contamination in our area. Dangerous bacteria often use food as a breeding ground. When that food is not properly prepared by manufacturers, restaurant owners, and other businesses that handle the product, then consumers are at risk of suffering serious illness. Improperly prepared food can cause a wide range of problems, from nausea and vomiting to paralysis and death. Millions of people are affected by food-borne bacteria each year.

The Sun Sentinel recently reported on the latest Florida food poisoning scare involving contaminated ground turkey. The problem has affected residents throughout the country over the past few months. Officials from the United States Department of Agriculture are still working to understand the outbreak and determine the best way to keep consumers safe. Investigators currently believe the problem can be traced to a manufacturer from Kansas known as Cargill Meat. The company apparently sold 36 million pounds of turkey to Walmart and Aldi supermarkets that may have become contaminated with a fatal strain of salmonella. Tests at the manufacturing site indicated the presence of a strain of the bacteria known as salmonella Heidelburg--known to be resistant to antibiotics. The contaminated turkey was produced over a five and a half month period in the first half of 2011.

The report indicates that several Florida Walmart stores received the contaminated meat and local residents may have unsuspectingly purchased the dangerous products. Since learning of the problems all Walmart and Aldi stores have apparently emptied their shelves of the ground turkey. However, many residents may have purchased the product unsuspectingly before the recall was enacted. As a result, it is important for area residents to take special care with their consumption of ground turkey so that they do not fall victim to the Palm Beach turkey contamination. Fortunately there have been no Florida victims publicly identified yet. However, at least one person has died and over 75 illnesses have been reported in nearby states because of the salmonella strain.

Our Florida injury attorney has worked with many victims who have fallen ill because of bacteria-laden food. We understand the responsibility incumbent upon all food manufacturers to keep their products safe. Many residents may be unfamiliar with the way that lawsuits work in these situations. It is important to know that these businesses still maintain responsibility for the consequences of the contamination even after a recall is issued. When many people are harmed by an outbreak it is often treated as a "class action" lawsuit. A class action lawsuit is a legal action that combines many individuals harmed into a single case for efficiency reasons. This helps save resources by allowing a judge or jury to hear how a single case of contamination had wide-ranging consequences and affected dozens of people. Our Palm Beach food poisoning law firm has been involved in several class action lawsuits related to restaurants that have served contaminated food.

If you or someone you know may have been harmed by this salmonella outbreak or any other food poisoning be sure to seek medical help, preserve the dangerous food, and seek legal assistance to ensure your rights are protected.

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Contaminated Food Suppliers Knew "Egg"zactly What They Were Doing

The recent egg recall is making us all wonder how safe our food sources really are. Salmonella outbreaks are becoming more and more common and sending more people to the hospital with food poisoning and other illnesses. Recently, many have fallen ill from eating bad eggs.

On August 13, 2010, Wright County Egg Company conducted a voluntary recall of 380 million eggs shipped by the company since May 19, 2010. The company has been cited by state regulators many times. The owner, Jack Decoster, said as his company grew, it became more difficult to comply with food safety regulations. Federal inspectors found filthy conditions at the company's chicken farms. Eggs are a staple of most diets and are found in many other food products sold in grocery stores and restaurants.

According to the Mayo Clinic, salmonella bacteria have several strains that can leave the victim very sick. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain and blood in the stool. The incubation period can range from several hours to two days. Our children, the elderly and those with immune conditions are all at higher risk for severe illness, and perhaps even death.

Without making the necessary changes to the deplorable conditions, Wright Country Egg continued selling millions of dollars of contaminated eggs. So who monitors our food safety? The Food and Drug Administration is our only control over our food sources. Their job is to regulate and supervise the quality of food, pharmaceuticals and other related products. The increased risk of lawsuits resulting from these food borne illnesses may create financial incentives for companies to produce safer foods.

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