Food Poisoning Lawyer in Crofton

Wes Henderson - Personal Injury Attorney Crofton, MD

Food Poisoning Lawyer

If you or a loved one has ever had food poisoning, you likely appreciate just how devastating the effects of tainted food can be. Unfortunately, a surprisingly large number of people experience food poisoning each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that approximately 48 million people are poisoned by their food each year in the United States.

While stomach pains, diarrhea, and vomiting are some of the most common symptoms associated with food poisoning, the condition can result in many more severe physical symptoms. If you or a loved one has incurred serious injuries and subsequent losses after eating or drinking contaminated food or water, you should speak with an experienced attorney who can help you fight for the compensation you deserve.

Common Types of Food Poisoning

Some of the most common types of harmful organisms that cause food poisoning include:

• Botulism toxins can be present in foods that are not properly canned or fermented.
• Campylobacter results in diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, and is commonly found in contaminated water.
• Clostridium botulinum results in blurred and double vision as well as difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, and even paralysis.
• Clostridium perfringens often results in diarrhea and stomach cramps. It can be found in beef and poultry.
• Cyclospora commonly results in increased gas, stomach cramps, and nausea. It can be found in herbs, raw fruits, and vegetables.
• Listeria often takes several weeks to manifest symptoms after being ingested. Listeria can be carried in soft cheeses as well as deli meats, hot dogs, and unpasteurized milk.
• Norovirus results in diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting. It can be found in fresh fruit, shellfish, and vegetables.
• Salmonella symptoms often appear in 12 to 72 hours after ingestion. It can be found in chicken, eggs, raw fruits, unpasteurized milk, and raw vegetables.
• Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, often presents symptoms within half an hour to six hours after a person eats contaminated food. Staph can be found in foods that are not properly cooked such as meats, pastries, and sandwiches.
• Vibrio results in diarrhea, chills, fever, and stomach cramps. It can be found in raw or undercooked shellfish.

Symptoms Associated With Food Poisoning

The symptoms associated with food poisoning often begin within two to six hours of consuming contaminated food. Some of the most common symptoms associated with food poisoning include abdominal pain, chills, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and weakness. Sometimes, food poisoning can result in even more complications.

The Centers for Disease Control report that approximately 128,000 people are hospitalized each year due to food poisoning injuries. Some of the warning signs associated with food poisoning include:

• Being unable to drink fluids
• Blood in a person’s stool
• Dehydration
• Diarrhea for more than five days
• Fever above 101 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit in children

The Long Term Consequences of Food Poisoning

Besides immediate sickness, food poisoning can also result in long-lasting complications and sometimes even death. Some of the most serious and permanent injuries known to result from food poisoning include:

• Bran and nerve damage
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome, which occurs when the toxic substances produced in a person’s digestive system destroy red blood cells and cause kidney failure or damage.
• Reactive arthritis, which is when a person’s joints become inflamed in response to an infection located elsewhere in the body

How to Respond to Food Poisoning

It can be overwhelming to experience the sudden onset of food poisoning symptoms. Some steps you should remember to take if you think you might have food poisoning include:

• Receive prompt treatment by a medical professional who can determine whether or not you have food poisoning. A diagnosis is important because food poisoning is often mistaken for stomach flu. After all, the two conditions have similar symptoms.
• Preserve any packaging or remaining food that you believe caused your illness. Because symptoms of food poisoning only appear after a few days, it can be difficult to draw a connection between tainted food and food poisoning. While it might sound strange, holding onto these items can help strengthen your case.
• To make sure that you take the necessary steps to preserve your case, you should promptly retain the assistance of an experienced food poisoning injury attorney.

Speak with an Experienced Food Poisoning Attorney

If you or a loved one has been impacted by food poisoning or a related illness, you should not hesitate to contact an experienced attorney at Henderson Law today. We can investigate and help you decide if this should be a civil case or become a class action lawsuit. Our attorneys are passionate about fighting for the rights of victims, and we will help you fight for the compensation you deserve.

As a trusted law firm in the Crofton, Maryland community and a reliable partner to our clients, we are proud of each of the 5 star reviews on our Google business listing. Please call us today and learn exactly why we are the right personal injury lawyer for you.