Sacramento Area Listeria Attorney

Sacramento Area Listeria Attorney

Sacramento Area Listeria Attorney

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento personal injury attorney. Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that causes listeriosis, which is a serious infection that can occur if someone eats food that is contaminated with the listeria bacteria.  Listeriosis primarily affects pregnant women, older adults, infants, and those with weakened immune systems, though, on occasion, people without these risk factors can also be affected by the disease.  In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 1,600 people get sick from listeria every year, and of these 1,600 people, about 260 of them die.

Sources of Listeria Bacteria

Listeria can be found in water and soil, and in some animals such as cattle or poultry.  Listeria can also be present in food processing plants and can contaminate a variety of processed meats.  It is a hardy bacterium that can grow even in your refrigerator and is usually only killed by pasteurization and cooking.  Some common sources of listeria include:

• Unpasteurized or raw milk and products made from raw milk like soft cheeses, including feta, blue cheese, and brie;
• Deli meat and hot dogs;
• Refrigerated smoked seafood;
• Refrigerated meat spreads or pâtés; and,
• Raw sprouts.

Symptoms and Complications of Listeriosis

Typical symptoms of listeriosis include muscle aches and fever which can be preceded by gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea or vomiting.  Depending on the person, an infected person may experience other symptoms or complications.  For example, while pregnant women will usually experience fever, aches, and fatigue, a listeriosis infection can also cause miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, or a life-threatening infection of the newborn.  Symptoms that others may experience include headaches, loss of balance, stiff neck, convulsions, and confusion.  In most people who are diagnosed with listeriosis, the infection moves beyond the gastrointestinal tract, and in some cases, if the infection spreads to the brain, it can present as meningitis.

Listeriosis symptoms can last from days to weeks, and is usually treated with antibiotics.  However, even with prompt and proper treatment, some listeriosis infections can be fatal, particularly for older adults and others with serious medical problems.

Filing a Claim for Food Poisoning

If you become seriously ill and have a stiff neck or a fever, it is important that you seek medical care as soon as possible, especially if you are pregnant or have other serious medical issues.  If you are diagnosed with listeriosis, hopefully, a course of antibiotics will effectively treat the illness; however, sometimes even with antibiotics, listeriosis can lead to other serious complications and even death.  With serious medical complications, it is likely that treatment will be extensive and expensive, not to mention that you may be recovering for weeks and even months.  Fortunately, successful lawsuits against those responsible for your illness can help alleviate some of the pressure you feel to keep up with medical treatment costs and expenses.  That’s why if you believe that you have contracted listeria from a food product that you ingested from a restaurant or grocery store, it is important to remember when and what you ate for up to seventy days prior to the time your symptoms first began.  By targeting or pinpointing the source of your illness, there is a greater chance that you can obtain the compensation you need and deserve.

Preventing Listeriosis

In the meantime, in order to prevent contracting listeria, especially if you are pregnant, an older adult, or immunosuppressed, try to avoid eating or drinking raw milk or raw dairy products, cook or heat your meat, even deli meat, thoroughly, rinse raw produce thoroughly, keep raw meats separate from vegetables and fruit, eat perishable foods as soon as possible, keep food preparation areas clean, and be sure to wash your hands before consuming or handling any food.

Sacramento Area Listeria Attorney

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Attorney. If you or someone you care about has become seriously ill or passed away due to food poisoning, please call me promptly at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.

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