E. coli (Escherichia coli) is a bacterium that is found in animal—including human—intestines. E. coli contamination is unfortunately common in the food industry. Popular food products such as meat, milk, and vegetables have become contaminated with E. coli in the past. Staple vegetables, such as spinach and lettuce, have also been affected by E. coli in previous years.
Recently, there has been an outbreak of E. coli contamination throughout the nation. Romaine lettuce, one of the most consumed lettuces in the nation, is the current food product contaminated with E. coli. The contamination has affected more than 120 people over 25 U.S. states. At least one person has died as a result of the E. coli contamination.
If you ingested E. coli-contaminated romaine lettuce, you might be suffering from severe and distressing symptoms. You might have grounds to file a lawsuit and receive compensation; you must contact Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible to speak with our experienced E. coli contamination attorneys. Speaking with our experienced lawyers should help you understand your rights after eating contaminated romaine lettuce. If you got sick because of e-coli contaminated romaine lettuce, you must contact Normandie Law Firm’s skilled attorneys as soon as possible.
Symptoms of E. coli Contamination
If you ingested California lettuce that was contaminated by bacteria, you might be experiencing some concerning symptoms. Common symptoms that victims who have been exposed to E. coli include many of the following:
- Bleeding
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Nausea
- Nosebleeds
- Seizures
- Shortness of breath
- Vomiting
Although many of the symptoms associated with E. coli contamination appear to be mild to moderate, symptoms could quickly deteriorate a victim’s health. Many of the symptoms of E. coli could lead those affected to the hospital and prevent them from going to work. Because of that, victims suffering from E. coli could be left with expensive medical bills for hospital stays and the inability to work and earn income temporarily.
Other Effects of E. coli Exposure
In addition to the concerning symptoms that E. coli can cause, E. coli could also lead to devastating complications—especially in children and the elderly. The complications of E. coli contamination are separated into two categories: hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). HUS is common in children who are exposed to E. coli; HUS is characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, bruising, lethargy, dehydration, anemia, and renal failure. TTP is common in the elderly who are exposed to E. coli; TTP is characterized by blood clots, bruises, jaundice, fatigue, fever, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, headache, coma, stroke, seizure, and protein in the urine.
Without a doubt, E. coli contamination can be life-threatening, especially if victims suffer these complications in addition to the symptoms often associated with contamination. If you ingested E. coli bacteria contaminated lettuce, you must contact an attorney in Los Angeles for victims of E. coli contaminated Romaine lettuce as soon as possible. You have rights—and our lawyers are here to help you fight for your rights.
Liability for E. coli Contamination
If you suffered from vomiting and diarrhea or experienced kidney failure after eating Romaine lettuce which was contaminated with E. coli bacteria, you might be considering filing a claim against the party liable for your contamination. Who is liable for your exposure to E. coli after eating Romaine lettuce which was infested with bacteria? Food products are often handled by many parties before they reach consumers. Therefore, it is often unclear where or how the food product became contaminated. However, all parties involved in the food industry—from the moment the lettuce is pulled out of the ground to when it is packaged and sent to stores—have a duty of care to consumers. They must exercise care to ensure that their food products are of the highest quality. If any party involved was negligent, they could have caused contamination which harmed unsuspecting victims. If you were affected by the reckless or negligent actions of a party involved in the food industry, you must contact an injury lawyer to sue Romaine lettuce manufacturers for food poisoning.
The Compensation Available for E. coli Claims
If you ate romaine lettuce that was contaminated with E. coli, you could file a claim and be eligible to receive compensation. Although each claim is different and eligible for different amounts of compensation, you should be familiar with the compensation that you could be eligible to receive. Common categories of compensation for victims exposed to E. coli include the following:
- Medical expenses (including projected medical bills)
- Lost income (including projected lost wages)
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages
If the exposure to E. coli resulted in the death of a member of your family, you must speak with a romaine lettuce wrongful death lawyer because of e-coli contamination. An E. coli wrongful death lawyer should help you understand the additional categories of compensation available for recovery—loss of consortium and funeral and burial costs.
For in-depth information about the value of your claim and the compensation you might recover, you must speak with a Los Angeles lawyer to sue for contaminated romaine lettuce as soon as possible. When you contact our E. coli contamination attorneys at Normandie Law Firm, you can be certain that our lawyers will always fight for your right to recover the maximum amount of compensation for your claim. Our attorneys understand that monetary compensation cannot reverse the harm that you have suffered; however, our attorneys also understand that monetary compensation can relieve much of the stress caused by your unfortunate E. coli contamination. Do not hesitate to allow our lawyers to fight for your right to receive the highest amount of compensation available for your claim.
The Statute of Limitations for E. coli Claims
If you are interested in filing a lawsuit after you were infected with E. coli, you must ensure that you file your claim within the statute of limitations allowed by California law. In California, victims of E. coli infections and other food poisoning are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. Therefore, those affected must file their claims within two years to preserve their right to sue. Some exceptions might apply and toll or extend the time you have to sue. For clarification about the statute of limitations that applies to your claim, you must contact our law firm as soon as possible and speak with our attorneys.
Normandie Law Firm
If you were affected by the latest E. coli romaine lettuce contamination, you must contact our experienced attorneys and take action against the party or parties liable for your injuries. You might have grounds to file a lawsuit and receive compensation—contact us as soon as possible. Our law firm offers free consultations and free second opinions to all victims of E. coli infection. After being exposed and infected with E. coli, it is vital that you seek legal assistance. You might have already sought treatment and experienced an improvement in your health; however, you must not ignore the fact that your exposure and infection were caused by the negligent and reckless actions of a party. You must speak with our attorneys as soon as possible to begin your legal process. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our experienced lawyers are available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns. Our skilled attorneys will ensure that you will have all the information necessary to pursue a successful claim against the parties that caused your E. coli infection. Whether you are starting your claim or you are trying to get more accurate information after speaking with an incompetent attorney, you can trust the lawyers at Normandie Law Firm to provide you with the legal guidance that you need for a successful claim.
Our free consultations and free second opinions are available because of our Zero-Fee guarantee. Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that our clients never have to worry about paying any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. Our Zero-Fee guarantee also establishes our strict contingency status; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay legal fees until our attorneys win their claims, and they recover the compensation to which they are entitled. If you were infected with E. coli after eating contaminated romaine lettuce, you can contact our firm without having to worry about the costs associated with filing a claim because of our Zero-Fee guarantee. If you are interested in suing for your E. coli infection, contact us as soon as possible to speak with our attorneys and learn about your right to file a claim.