Georgia Injury Law Blog
According to the Department of Public Health, five cases of the salmonella food poisoning that have been reported across the country have been found in Georgia.A few days ago, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control announced an outbreak of salmonella poisoning in 42 states.The outbreak apparently occurred between October to December, and has sickened close to 400 people.One elderly woman who died during the period had been infected at the time of her death, but it hasn’t been confirmed if she died because of the poisoning.
Now, fresh reports confirm that a brand of peanut butter has been traced as the source of the contamination. Batches of King Nut and Parnell’s Pride peanut butter that were distributed by King Nut Cos, and supplied to schools, nursing homes and restaurants, have been recalled.The batches were only sold to institutions, and were not available directly to the public.The company apparently only distributed the product which is manufactured by Peanut Corporation of America.The link was traced when tests conducted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Health on the peanut butter batches revealed a match with the strain of salmonella Typhirium type that has been responsible for the outbreak.
Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include abdominal cramps, fever and diarrhea. In cases of serious infection, hospitalization may be required. The symptoms are particularly acute in the case of children, elderly or those who have weakened immune systems.In serious cases, the infection may spread to other parts of the body, and death can result.
The most common sources of contamination are meat, fresh produce, eggs and dairy products.Non pasteurized milk, semi cooked or uncooked meat and eggs are frequently traced to such outbreaks. People who work in the food processing or preparation industry like restaurant workers, or employees of meat packing plants, or in the case here, a peanut butter manufacturing company are required to be extra careful when it comes to maintaining personal hygiene, because of the possibility of salmonella contamination spreading to customers.
Almost always, salmonella contamination can be traced to carelessness or negligence at some point in the chain, from the moment a product is made, to its delivery into the hands of the customer. In order to claim compensation in case of illness due to salmonella poisoning, a personal injury lawyer will have to prove that that the illness was caused because of the careless actions of the persons responsible for ensuring that their products were safe, and that the illness caused by this contamination was severe.If you have been sickened as a result of the salmonella food poisoning outbreak in Georgia, the product liability attorneys at the law firm of Robert N. Katz can help you evaluate your situation and your options for compensation.Contact a Georgia food poisoning lawyer at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers for a free review of your case.