Castleberry Botulism Lawsuits
In 2008, Castleberry's Food Company settled the first of the botulism food poisoning lawsuits brought against it by the parents of two children who contracted botulism after eating the company's hot dog chili sauce. Castleberry's Food Company is continuing to litigate several other lawsuits related to Castleberry's 2007 botulism outbreak, including a wrongful death suit filed by a sister of a 52-year-old man who suffered a painful death as a result of botulism poisoning.
Castleberry's Canned Foods Recall
In 2007, eight people contracted botulism after eating canned hot dog chili sauce made by Castleberry's Food Company. The victims experienced a range of serious, potentially life-threatening symptoms, such as difficulty breathing and swallowing, muscle paralysis, severe diarrhea and vomiting. Most of the victims required lengthy hospital stays and were put on mechanical ventilators to allow them to breathe properly. In addition, the seven survivors required lengthy rehabilitation, and some of them continued to experience shortness of breath, coordination and movement problems months after being released from the hospital.
After an FDA investigation revealed that the culprit of the 2007 botulism outbreak was canned chili sauce produced using faulty equipment at Castleberry's Atlanta, Georgia, facility, the company recalled two years worth of products that had been manufactured using the defective equipment. The Castleberry recall was later expanded to include 90 products sold under 27 brand names.
Castleberry's Food Company and the FDA warned consumers not to eat any of the potentially contaminated products and to dispose of them immediately. These precautions were necessary because some of the Castleberry's cans were bursting due to the build-up of the botulism toxin inside. Unlike most other bacteria, botulism toxin can be inhaled and absorbed through the skin, which might have exposed thousands of Castleberry's consumers to the dangers of contracting botulism.
Botulism Legal Recourse
All food manufacturers in the United States have a responsibility to ensure that their products are reasonably safe. If a food producer acts negligently in carrying out this responsibility and causes harm to consumers, the company can be compelled to provide monetary compensation to those affected. In the case of Castleberry's botulism outbreak, several victims filed personal injury lawsuits seeking compensation for their medical and long-term rehabilitation expenses, lost wages, reduced future income, and physical and emotional suffering. While Castleberry's Food Company settled a lawsuit brought forth by the parents of Samuel and Marissa Cisneros, other Castleberry lawsuits seeking at least $75,000 in damages are pending.
Contacting an Experienced Botulism Attorney
The law offices of Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz have many years' experience helping food poisoning victims obtain rightful compensation for financial, physical and psychological damages. If your illness or the disease of your loved one was caused by a product infected with botulism, salmonella, E. coli, listeria or campylobacter, contact AWKO Law at (888) 255-2956 to discuss your case and determine if compensation might be available. The skilled food poisoning attorneys of Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz have the training, experience and dedication necessary to help you understand and advance your legal rights.
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Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz
803 North Palafox St.
Pensacola, Florida 32501
55 Baybridge Dr.
Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561
