Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

Salmonella Outbreak FAQ

Attorney Fred Pritzker and his team of attorneys have recovered millions for food poisoning victims, including a recent settlement for $6,425,000.

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How can I tell if someone in my family is
part of a Salmonella outbreak?

Salmonella PoisoningEvery Salmonella outbreak involves a Salmonella serotype with a unique genetic fingerprint (PFGE pattern). Someone is part of a Salmonella outbreak if he or she was sickened by the Salmonella serotype with the same genetic fingerprint as the other outbreak victims.

When food that many of the outbreak victims ate is contaminated with this outbreak-strain of Salmonella, that food is considered the source of the outbreak. Even in cases where the source of the outbreak is not found, outbreak victims have the right to sue the responsible companies (usually a food manufacturer or restaurant) for compensation.

How do I know if I have a Salmonella case?

You have a Salmonella food poisoning case if you can prove that:

  1. You have a Salmonella infection. This is usually confirmed by testing a stool sample. Many different kinds of illnesses can cause diarrhea (bloody diarrhea in the case of Salmonella Wandsworth and a few other serotypes of Salmonella), fever, or abdominal cramps. Determining that Salmonella bacteria is the cause of the illness depends on laboratory tests that identify Salmonella in the stools or urine of an infected person. These tests are sometimes not performed unless the laboratory is instructed specifically to look for the organism.
  2. Your Salmonella infection was caused by food eaten by other outbreak victims. This is important because there are many different ways you can become infected with Salmonella. Thus, we have to prove that your Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) came from a particular outbreak. To do that, the culture of Salmonella from your stool or urine sample needs to undergo additional testing to see if its genetic fingerprint matches the genetic fingerprint of the other people who are part of an outbreak. This advanced testing called PFGE is usually conducted by your state's health department if your stool or urine sample tested positive for Salmonella.
  3. You suffered injuries and damages as a result of your salmonellosis. It is not hard to prove that there was harm, but it takes experience to know how much a case is worth. Our law firm hires medical and financial experts to help our attorneys determine an amount that will fully and adequately compensate you for your pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost income and other damages. These amounts should reflect expected future expenses, losses and pain.

Do I need to hire a lawyer?

The short answer is yes. As you can see, these cases are complicated. Only a few law firms in the United States have the experience and resources to successfully pursue these kinds of cases.

What should I do with leftover food that
may have caused my illness?

Keep it. It may be useful to test the leftover food for the presence of the outbreak strain of Salmonella. If it does, it can be used as evidence in a lawsuit against the food manufacturer or restaurant.

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