Food-Borne Listeria Infection
Listeriosis is a dangerous disease caused by a bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes. Every year, about 2,500 Americans contract this disease, and about 500 of them die due to listeriosis complications, such as meningitis, pneumonia and sepsis. In most cases, listeriosis victims become sick after consuming listeria-tainted products. One of the most notorious listeriosis outbreaks occurred in 1998 when listeria-tainted Sara Lee hot dogs killed 21 and sickened more than 100 victims. In 2002, a listeriosis outbreak linked to Pilgrims Pride turkey deli meat caused the death of 11 persons. More recently, the largest food processor in Canada, Maple Leaf, admitted that its contaminated cold cuts had caused the death of 20 victims and sickened 26 more. In 2008, Maple Leaf settled its listeriosis class action lawsuit for $23 million.
Listeriosis Risk Groups
Listeria is a particularly virulent bacterium, as it thrives in a variety of environments, including soil, water and the intestines of animals, birds and humans. While infected healthy people usually do not develop listeriosis, this bacterium can cause life-threatening symptoms in individuals with weakened immune systems. The main risk groups include pregnant women, newborns, elderly persons and individuals living with AIDS or recent organ transplants.
It is estimated that about one-third of all listeriosis cases occur in pregnant women. While the mothers-to-be might mistake listeriosis for a mild flu, the bacteria can infect the fetus, causing potentially deadly complications. In addition, a healthy fetus might become infected with listeriosis during the birth process if the mother is a listeria carrier. Organ transplant patients are also highly susceptible to listeria infection because they usually undergo treatments to suppress the immune system so that it doesn't reject the implant.
Listeriosis Lawsuits
Acute listeriosis often requires lengthy hospitalization and aggressive antibiotic treatments. The recovery after listeriosis is usually slow due to the fact that listeriosis is often discovered at an advanced stage when it has caused great damage to important body systems, such as the brain, the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to physical pain and impairment, many listeriosis patients suffer great psychological distress.
In order to compel the responsible parties to provide compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, reduced future income, as well as physical and emotional suffering, listeriosis victims often file personal injury lawsuits. If it can be proven that the manufacturers, distributors and/or servers of contaminated foods acted negligently in failing to provide consumers with reasonably safe products, they can be held financially liable for damages incurred by the victims. For example, Sara Lee agreed to pay more than $4 million in damages to the victims of the Sara Lee listeriosis outbreak, and Maple Leaf settled its class action lawsuit for more than $20 million.
Listeriosis Legal Help
The attorneys of Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz have many years' experience helping listeriosis victims advance their legal rights and obtain just compensation. If you believe that your symptoms or the illness of your loved one was caused by a listeria-tainted food product, contact AWKO Law at (888) 255-2956 for a thorough case review. The lawyers of AWKO can also help you in cases of salmonella, E. coli, cholera and botulism food poisoning.
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Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz
803 North Palafox St.
Pensacola, Florida 32501
55 Baybridge Dr.
Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561
