Gas Station Nacho Cheese Implicated in Botulism Death
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyer. The category of wrongful death casts a wide net and includes much more than auto accidents. A rare example presented itself at a local gas station when a man died after eating nacho cheese sold at the establishment.
A Rare Form of Food Poisoning
On Monday, May 22, 2017, California health officials confirmed that one person had died after consuming nacho cheese sold at a local Walnut Grove gas station. The individual was one of ten people who had become sick with an unusual form of food poisoning over the past few weeks. It was later confirmed that the individuals had contracted an illness known as botulism after visiting the Valley Oak Food and Fuel gas station.
Watch Youtube Video ~ Man Dies From Botulism in Nacho Cheese Dip.
Botulism is a Severe Illness
While some people might have heard of common sources of food poisoning such as E. Coli and Salmonella, botulism can cause serious and even life-threatening side effects. Symptoms include blurry vision, vomiting, and a descending paralysis (meaning that the paralysis starts at the head of the patient and gradually works its way down towards the patient’s feet). The diagnosis of the disease is based almost solely on the presentation of symptoms due to the unique nature of the paralysis. The cause of death from botulism is usually respiratory failure once the paralysis strikes the patient’s lungs. Botulism is often of risk to infants who eat honey, making the case of nacho cheese botulism particularly unusual. The gas station stopped selling the cheese back on May 5; however, that serves as little solace to the individuals who were already infected with the toxin. It is still unknown how the cheese became infected with the bacteria and the associated toxin in the first place.
Legal Action is Ensuing
Multiple entities including the gas station, Montecito Roadhouse (the company responsible for the chips at the gas station), and Gehl Foods (the company making the nacho cheese) are still being investigated as authorities look for a potential source of the infection. In the meantime, legal action is being pursued against the companies. To date, six individuals impacted by botulism have filed lawsuits against Gehl Foods and the gas station itself. While one patient has already passed away, several other individuals remain in the hospital, including one in intensive care with serious comorbidities as a result of the paralysis.
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Sacramento Botulism Injury & Wrongful Death Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyer. Food poisoning can range widely in severity and botulism is one of the most serious forms possible. If you or a loved one has suffered food poisoning, please contact my office at (916) 921-6400 for friendly, free advice. Those calling from outside of the local Sacramento area should feel free to use my toll-free number at (800) 404-5400.
I’m a member of the California Chapter of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. This group of attorneys has been rated among the top trial lawyers in the country. Each lawyer in this group has won verdicts or settled cases worth over $1 Million Dollars.
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Image Attribution: Content Providers by way of Centers for Disease Control (CDC) [Public domain images at Wikimedia Commons]
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