Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

Salmonella Death Lawsuit

Our attorneys have successfully represented families in Salmonella wrongful death lawsuits.
We hold negligent companies accountable.

When a victim of a Salmonella outbreak dies, the law allows the next of kin (spouse, children, parents, siblings, and more distant relatives) of the decedent (the person who died) to pursue a claim for money damages against any parties that may be liable (legally responsible).  This is called a "wrongful death claim."

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Salmonella Death Lawsuit: Liability

A Salmonella death lawsuit is brought against the person or company responsible for the Salmonella contamination that caused the wrongful death.

  • Salmonella cases may involve strict liability.  This means that a restaurant or processed food manufacturer (not a poultry company) will have to compensate the families of those killed in a Salmonella foodborne outbreak if the contamination caused the death.  It is not necessary to prove that anyone was negligent or intended to contaminate the food.
  • A person or company can be liable even if the contamination did not happen when the food was under their control.  For example, a restaurant is strictly liable for food they prepare.  If a Salmonella outbreak is linked to a restaurant, the restaurant is liable, even if health officials determine that the contamination happened on a farm field or in a manufacturing plant not owned by the restaurant.  We have handled numerous cases like this.
  • As suggested above, multiple parties may be liable for a Salmonella wrongful death. We represented three families whose loved ones died in a Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter. We sued the manufacturer of the peanut butter and the company that supplied the peanuts to the manufacturer. 
  • Parties liable for a foodborne Salmonella wrongful death may include anybody who handled the food from farm to fork:
    • Owner and/or lessee of a farm or cattle ranch
    • Food processor
    • Food distributor
    • Food service company
    • Restaurant or other eating establishment
    • Homeowner (homeowner’s insurance
  • It is generally best for the family of the decedent if multiple parties are liable because there are more opportunities for obtaining compensation.

Compensation for Salmonella Death

A Salmonella wrongful death lawsuit is not a criminal prosecution. Only state or federal prosecutors can bring criminal charges. The sole reason for a wrongful death claim is to compensate the heirs of the decedent for their loss.

Each state has different laws about the type of losses for which wrongful death compensation is allowed.

  • All states allow for the recovery of lost income the decedent would have provided his loved ones.
  • Most states do not allow recovery for grief or anger suffered by the surviving heirs, but do allow money damages for the loss of advice, care, comfort and companionship the deceased would have provided had he or she lived.
  • Some states also allow money damages for the pain and suffering of the deceased person prior to death.

Salmonella Wrongful Death Claim for Money Damages

Salmonella quickly colonizes in one's intestines after consumption of contaminated food. This infection, called salmonellosis, can cause severe diarrhea and extreme abdominal pain. In some cases, salmonellosis can develop into Salmonella bacteremia, an infection of the blood that can carry the Salmonella bacterium to other parts of the body and cause one or more of the following focal infections:

  • Osteomyelitis (infection of the bones or bone marrow)
  • Meningitis (infection of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord)
  • Pyelonepritis (a urinary tract infection that infects the kidneys that may be referred to as urosepsis when severe and may be called pyelitis)
  • Endocarditis (infection of the endocardium, the inner layer of the heart that may include infection of the heart valves)
  • Myocarditis (infection of the heart muscle)
  • Vascular infections (infection of the blood vessels)
  • Pancreatitis (infection of the pancreas)
  • Pneumonia (infection of the lungs)

It is generally one or more of the above infections that causes a Salmonella death.

Pritzker Olsen attorneys have represented families who lost loved ones in Salmonella outbreaks. Our Salmonella lawyers have a national practice and have been quoted by The New York Times, Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA and other publications. To contact Pritzker Olsen law firm about a Salmonella death lawsuit, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), email Attorney Fred Pritzker or submit our online form for a free consultation.

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