E. coli Lawsuit Information and the CDC

E. COLI LAWSUIT INFORMATION: Pritzker | Ruohonen, one of the leading E. coli litigation law firms in the United States, is currently representing E. coli victims and their families in E. coli lawsuits involving restaurants, ground beef, lettuce and spinach. In two of our current cases, the firm is representing the families of women who died from E. coli-related hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online consultation form.

E. coli Lawsuit Invoving CDC Confirmation
For E. coli lawsuit purposes, it is valuable to have the CDC determine that a person with an E. coli infection is part of a foodborne outbreak. This can be used as evidence in court that:

The person with the E. coli infection was a victim of the foodborne outbreak
The restaurant, food processor and/or other party linked to the outbreak is liable for the victim’s damages

Victims of E. coli outbreaks should consult an experienced E. coli lawsuit lawyer regarding an E. coli lawsuit's strength and the amount of damages that should be sought. Fred Pritzker has gained a national reputation in the area of E. coli lawsuits and has been interviewed by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. For a free consultation regarding an E. coli lawsuit, please contact E. coli lawyer Fred Pritzker. He can be reached toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or with Pritzker | Ruohonen’s online-consultation form.

E. coli Lawsuit: CDC Timeline for Determining Victims of an E. coli Outbreak

To find cases in an outbreak of E. coli O157 infections, public health laboratories perform a kind of “DNA fingerprinting” on E. coli O157 laboratory samples. Investigators determine whether the “DNA fingerprint” pattern of E. coli O157 bacteria from one patient is the same as that from other patients in the outbreak and from the contaminated food. Bacteria with the same “DNA fingerprint” are likely to come from the same source. Public health officials conduct intensive investigations, including interviews with ill people, to determine if people whose infecting bacteria match by “DNA fingerprinting” are part of a common source outbreak. [Contact E. coli lawsuit lawyers at Pritzker | Ruohonen if you have questions regarding DNA fingerprinting.]

A series of events occurs between the time a patient is infected and the time public health officials can determine that the patient is part of an outbreak. This means that there will be a delay between the start of illness and confirmation that a patient is part of an outbreak. Public health officials work hard to speed up the process as much as possible. The timeline is as follows:

Incubation time: The time from eating the contaminated food to the beginning of symptoms. For E. coli O157, this is typically 3-4 days.
Time to treatment: The time from the first symptom until the person seeks medical care, when a diarrhea sample is collected for laboratory testing. This time lag may be 1-5 days.
Time to diagnosis: The time from when a person gives a sample to when E. coli O157 is obtained from it in a laboratory. This may be 1-3 days from the time the sample is received in the laboratory. [If you go to the doctor with E. coli symptoms, you will need to ask the doctor to test your stool sample for E. coli. You should also discuss the need for a separate test to discover the genetic fingerprint of any E. coli found in your stool. Contact E. coli lawsuit attorneys at Pritzker | Ruohonen for more information.]
Sample shipping time: The time required to ship the E. coli O157 bacteria from the laboratory to the state public health authorities that will perform “DNA fingerprinting”. This may take 0-7 days depending on transportation arrangements within a state and the distance between the clinical laboratory and public health department.
Time to “DNA fingerprinting”: The time required for the state public health authorities to perform “DNA fingerprinting” on the E. coli O157 and compare it with the outbreak pattern. Ideally this can be accomplished in 1 day. However, many public health laboratories have limited staff and space, and experience multiple emergencies at the same time. Thus, the process may take 1-4 days. [If you are diagnosed with E. coli poisoning, contact E. coli lawsuit lawyers at Pritzker | Ruohonen. They can make sure the above genetic testing is done and preserved for use in a possible E. coli lawsuit.]

The time from the beginning of the patient’s illness to the confirmation that he or she was part of an outbreak is typically about 2-3 weeks. Case counts in the midst of an outbreak investigation must be interpreted within this context.

E. coli Lawsuit: Lawyer and Free Consultation

If you have been diagnosed with E. coli and are or may be a victim of a foodborne outbreak, contact an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker | Ruohonen for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and remedies. You may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages.

E. coli lawsuit lawyer Fred Pritzker has over 30 years of experience and has established a national reputation for excellence in the area of food poisoning litigation. He has recovered millions for victims of food poisoning. In recognition of his achievements, other lawyers have selected him for inclusion in the 2005-2006 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. To contact Pritzker | Ruohonen, call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or use the firm's online-consultation form.

E. coli lawsuit lawyer Fred Pritzker has a national practice and represents E. coli victims throughout the United States. He is currently representing several E. coli victims and the family of an E. coli victim who died as a result of the E. coli infection. Please contact the E. coli lawsuit firm Pritzker | Ruohonen for more E. coli lawsuit information.

Free Case Consultation

Firm News

Fred Pritzker Listed in The Best Lawyers in America

Fred Pritzker has been notified that he will again be listed in The Best Lawyers in America.

Taste of Chicago

Pritzker | Ruohonen attorney Rich Ruohonen is managing attorney for our Taste of Chicago / Pars Cove Salmonella cases, which involve a Salmonella outbreak with over 180 confirmed cases of Salmonella. Contact Rich Ruohonen regarding these cases at 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free).

E. coli Wrongful Death Settlement

We have recently settled a number of E. coli cases involving victims of various E. coli outbreaks, including a wrongful death claim.

Attorney Rich Ruohonen Has Article Published

Rich Ruohonen's recently published article addresses effective cross examination of the defence neuropsychologist.

Foodborne Outbreaks

Oklahoma E. coli: An Oklahoma E. coli outbreak may be linked to a Locust Grove restaurant.
Nebraska Beef Lawsuit: Nebraska Beef, Ltd. has recalled millions of pounds of beef products and has been linked to 2 outbreaks.
Massachusettes E. coli: A Massachusettes E. coli outbreak has been linked to Nebraska Beef products and Coleman Meat products.
Whole Foods Market Lawsuit: The Whole Foods Market E. coli outbreak is part of the Massachusettes E. coli outbreak above.
Virginia E. coli - Goshen Scout Reservation: Dozens of scouts were sickened in an E. coli outbreak linked to beef.
Georgia E. coli - Barbecue Pit Lawsuit
Ohio E. coli Outbreak: Ground beef may have sickened people in both Michigan and Ohio.
Michigan E. coli Outbreak: Ground beef may have sickened people in both Michigan and Ohio.
Multi-State Salmonella Saintpaul Outbreak: Tomatoes have sickened hundreds of people throughout the United States.
Minnesota Preschool E. coli: Outbreak associated with Wonder World Preschool in Slayton, Minnesota.
Washington E. coli Lettuce: Outbreak associated with commercial romaine lettuce.
Texas Salmonella Saintpaul - Tomato: Outbreak most likely caused by Roma, red plum and/or red round tomatoes.
New Mexico Salmonella Saintpaul Linked to Tomatoes: Outbreak most likely caused by Roma, red plum and/or red round tomatoes.
Nebraska E. coli Outbreak Associated with Roast Beef
Hepatitis A - La Mesa California Chipotle - Lawyer and Lawsuit: San Diego County hepatitis A outbreak
Salmonella - Puffed Rice Recall and Puffed Wheat Recall: Malt-O-Meal cereal recall.
Minnesota Salmonella - Milford Valley Farms Lawsuit: Frozen chicken product.
Salmonella - Agropecuaria Montelibano Cantaloupe Recall: Cantaloupe from Honduras.
Salmonella Litchfield Cantaloupe Lawsuit: Recall of Dole, Chiquita and other brands.
Honolulu E. coli - Sekiya's Lawsuit and Lawyer: E. coli associated with Hawaii restaurant.
Alabama E. coli - Church Supper: Outbreak associated with Eastern Shore Baptis Church.
E. coli - Rochester Meat Company Recall and Lawsuit: Ground beef recall.
E. coli - Jeno's and Totino's Pizza Recall and Lawsuit: Pepperoni on pizza.
E. coli - Topps Recall and Lawsuit: Hamburger patty recall.
E. coli - Cargill/Sam's Club Recall and Lawsuit: Ground beef patty recall.
Listeria - Whittier Farms Recall and Lawsuit: Miscarriage and death linked to milk.
Hawaii Salmonella - Tuna Recall and Lawsuit
Salmonella - Safeway Ground Beef Recall and Lawsuit