Suing A Fairfield Restaurant For Food Poisoning

I’m Ed Smith, a Fairfield Personal Injury Attorney. Foodborne illnesses caused by bacteria and viruses can be very serious and in some cases can cause severe complications leading up to possible death. Food poisoning can occur in many places but oftentimes the source of food poisoning outbreaks occur in restaurants, cafes, and other food service settings. In these instances, infectious outbreaks usually arise because a food service employee does not take proper hygienic procedures in preparing or handling food before it is served; it can be the chef in the kitchen or the waiter bringing your meal to your table that can bring you a nightmare to your stomach. In cases where you have suffered serious injuries as a result of food poisoning from eating at a restaurant, it can be possible to file a claim against that identified restaurant for any damages you have sustained. However, there are a number of steps you must first follow in order to determine whether that claim is even viable in the first place.

First Determine What Made You Sick

If you have become extremely ill after eating at a restaurant, it is possible that you may have been in contact by an infectious foodborne pathogen. In these cases, it is important to seek immediate medical treatment in order to determine if the pathogen is causing you to feel ill. A health care provider usually will ask you questions pertaining to your illness and observe your symptoms to conduct tests to create a diagnosis of the illness. Typical foodborne pathogens include E. coli, norovirus, shigella, salmonella, listeria, campylobacter, and clostridium botulisum. These identified viruses and bacteria have the ability to make you very ill and in some cases these illnesses caused by these pathogens can be fatal.

Next, Report Your Foodbourne Illness To A Local Health Official

If a restaurant or another venue where food is served is the source of food poisoning, most cases identify that more than one person has been infected as a result. By reporting your foodbourne illness to a local health department it can alert health officials to respond to a possible food poisoning outbreak. By taking the following step, it can assist health officials in the investigation effort of identifying an identified restaurant or venue that can be the possible source of the foodborne pathogen. There is typically a delay between consuming a contaminated food and the onset of symptoms to appear. Therefore, it is difficult to prove that your illness may be caused by a food poisoning source because people often times tend to forget everything they have consumes in the days passed or weeks prior to becoming ill. However, if your illness can be linked to a specific food poisoning outbreak, it is usually easier to prove your claim.

Consulting With A Fairfield Food Poisoning Litigation Lawyer

If you have become seriously ill due to a foodborne pathogen, even if you have been unable to determine the exact food that has caused your illness, it can be a good idea to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer to discuss your possible claim. A lawyer who has experience in food poisoning litigation will conduct their own investigation into your foodborne illness, determine whether there have been any associated outbreaks related to your illness, and can assist you to conclude if you have a viable personal injury claim.

Documenting Your Foodbourne Illness

In the interim, it is a good idea to document any injuries you have sustained as a result of your foodborne illness. Proper documentation procedures include taking photographs and videos of how the illness has affected you and your health condition. Also, be sure to keep track of your medical records and records of your costs and expenses associated with your illness to document in your claim. In many cases, a successful claim simply boils down to whether the food you have consumed at a restaurant was contaminated by a specific pathogen and that has caused you to sustain an illness and encounter any possible damages. Accordingly, documenting the effects of your illness is extremely important when it comes to a successful food poisoning claim.

Fairfield Restaurant Food Poisoning And Personal Injury Attorney

I’m Ed Smith, a Fairfield Personal Injury Attorney. If you or a family member has been seriously injured or has passed away due to food poisoning, please call me today at (916) 921-6400 for free, friendly advice. If you are calling from outside of the Fairfield or Sacramento areas, please dial (800) 404-5400.

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Suing A Fairfield Restaurant For Food Poisoning