Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

Wegmans Lawsuit for Salmonella Poisoning

Wegmans Salmonella OutbreakOur law firm is representing people from New York who were hospitalized with a Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) after she consumed pine nuts sold at Wegmans. Attorney Ryan Osterholm is our managing attorney for these cases. He can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by submitting our free consultation form.

Our lawyers are investisgating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to Turkish pine nuts purchased from bulk bins at Wegmans grocery stores. A total of 43 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis have been reported from 5 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state with the outbreak strain is as follows: Maryland (1), New Jersey (2), New York (28), Pennsylvania (8), and Virginia (4).

Among 43 persons for whom information was available, illnesses began on or after August 20, 2011. Ill persons ranged in age from <1 to 94 years, and the median age was 43 years old. Sixty percent of patients were female. Two patients were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.

 

Investigation of the Outbreak

Epidemiologic and laboratory investigations conducted by officials in local, state, and federal public health, agriculture, and regulatory agencies linked this outbreak to eating Turkish pine nuts sold in bulk bins at Wegmans grocery stores. Some Turkish pine nuts were consumed as an ingredient in prepared foods, such as Caprese salad or asparagus with pine nuts, sold at Wegmans stores. These pine nuts are imported from Turkey, but may not have originated there.

Among 30 ill persons for whom information is available, 19 (63%) reported consuming Turkish pine nuts or products containing these pine nuts in the week before their illness began.

Early in the investigation, shopper card information was collected and used to identify which specific products to suspect as sources of illness. Ill persons gave permission for public health officials to retrieve shopper card purchase information. A review of shopper card records identified that ill persons had purchased the same type of Turkish pine nuts from bulk bins at different locations of Wegmans grocery stores before becoming ill.

The Smoking Gun

Laboratory testing conducted by the Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis from Turkish pine nuts that were purchased from bulk bins at Wegmans stores and collected from an ill person’s home. The Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services also isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis from retail samples of Turkish pine nuts collected from a Wegmans store where ill persons reported shopping. Laboratory testing conducted by the New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center Laboratory, isolated Salmonella Enteritidis from two separate samples of homemade pesto containing Turkish pine nuts from two unrelated ill persons' homes, and from Turkish pine nuts which were purchased from bulk bins at a Wegmans store and collected from another ill person’s home. Both samples of homemade pesto have been tested and it is determined the Salmonella in these pine nuts is also the outbreak strain. Further tests on the whole bulk pine nuts are pending.

Recall Information

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is recalling approximately 5,000 lbs of Turkish Pine Nuts sold in the Bulk Foods department of most Wegmans stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland between July 1 and October 18, 2011.

Wegmans Lawsuit: Salmonella Victim Compensation

Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. Compensation for Salmonella victims and their families may include money for the following:

  • Hospital bills and other medical expenses
  • Lost income
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Disability
  • Loss of quality of life
  • Other damages

Because the complications of Salmonella can be severe, victims should seek money for future (expected) medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and other damages.

Contact Pritzker Olsen

Our Salmonella lawyers have won money for clients in Arizona, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Keywords: Wegmans lawsuit, attorney, Salmonella food poisoning, Wegmans food poisoning, New York outbreak, Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Rochester, Yonkers , class action lawsuit.


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