Our attorneys have been contacted by victims of the outbreak of E. coli food poisoning in Germantown, Ohio that has sickened at least 75 people and sent 14 of them to the hospital, including 3 that developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). One of the E. coli-HUS victims has died.
The victims of the outbreak ate carry-in food at a picnic at Neff’s Lawn Care on July 3. 200 to 300 people attended the annual customer appreciation picnic at Neff’s Lawn Care, so there are probably many more people who were sickened by food at the picnic.
“The percentage of victims hospitalized in this outbreak is unusually high,” said Fred Pritzker, E. coli attorney and food safety advocate. “We understand that Germantown is a smaller community and that victims may be hesitant to sue for compensation. However, people sickened in this outbreak and their families should not have to bear the financial burdens caused by this outbreak without some compensation.
Dr. Noel Watson, a family practitioner in Germantown, told Middletown Journal that he has treated eight patients with symptoms consistent with E. coli O157 infections and estimated that there could be as many as 50 area cases. Our experience with E. coli outbreaks would suggest that there will be many more people diagnosed with E. coli food poisoning. E. coli can lead to serious illness, including (but not limited to) hemorrhagic colitis, hypertension, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). HUS and TTP can cause kidney failure, brain damage, pancreatitis and other life-threatening conditions.
