What kind of harm could eating a tainted food product cause?
Unfortunately, tainted food products can – and often do – result in serious disease and injury. When tainted spinach and lettuce products led to outbreaks of the bacterium E. coli in 2006, half of the hundreds of consumers who became sick required hospitalization; some even suffered kidney failure. Botulism – another serious illness – has also been traced to tainted food, particularly products that have not been canned properly. Botulism victims can suffer abdominal pain and even paralysis and respiratory failure. Salmonella – a microorganism causing food poisoning – is another potential hazard. In 2008, nearly 1,000 consumers in the U.S. were sickened by an outbreak thought to have been caused by contaminated tomatoes. In short, tainted food products are a serious problem – often with serious consequences.
Will symptoms be immediate?
Not always. In fact, the warning signs of botulism – difficulty swallowing, vision trouble, drooping eyelids, dry mouth, muscle weakness, and slurred speech – may not be apparent for 18 to 36 hours after ingesting contaminated food. When symptoms do arise, it is vital to seek medical attention promptly. All too often, the harm victims suffered could have been mitigated had they received fast and effective treatment.
Won’t the safety regulations in place prevent tainted food from ever reaching the market?
While regulatory bodies in the U.S. do set standards and perform inspections intended to keep tainted food from ever reaching consumers, the number of outbreaks – particularly in recent years – demonstrates that their efforts just aren’t enough. Indeed, after the 2008 Salmonella outbreak, legislators in Congress called for new laws that would enable the Department of Agriculture and the Food & Drug Administration to issue mandatory food recalls and implement a tracing system that would allow government investigators to more quickly home in on the origin of disease-causing contamination. But right now, these are just proposals, and even if new regulatory schemes are eventually enacted, there is no guarantee that they will prevent, or even lessen the severity, of future outbreaks.
Why is it important to work with a lawyer experienced in tainted food products cases?
A tainted food case will often pit a victim against a large company with the resources to fight – and fight hard – any claim made against it. They are experienced in the courtroom and the negotiation table, and can hire top-flight legal talent. That’s why it’s important to work with a law firm that has not only mastered the law and the litigation strategies needed to win these cases, but has the resources, skill, and experience to take on – and beat back – the most ferocious defendant. At Mary Alexander & Associates, tough cases and tough opponents aren’t something we face on occasion, but they are standard operating procedure. And that’s the way it has been for more than a quarter of a century, as we’ve fought for consumers injured not only by tainted food products, but all manner of negligence. We’ve built a record – and a practice – taking on the country’s most powerful manufacturers. And getting our clients the recovery they deserve.
How do I pay for your services?
It’s simple: Unless we recover a financial award or settlement, you don’t pay us anything. That’s because we handle tainted food products cases on a contingent-fee basis. In short, the risk is all ours: You pay us only if we’re successful. Expenses work the same way. We pay all the costs of the litigation and get reimbursed only if we obtain a settlement or jury award. Think of it this way: It may be your lawsuit, but it’s always our risk. That’s why you can be assured that if we take your case, it’s because we fully intend to win it.
