How Can an E. coli Lawyer Help?

Get in touch with an E. coli lawyer at Ron Simon & Associates for a free consultation about your legal options and potential compensation. Our experienced E. coli lawyers will thoroughly review your case, determine whether you have a legal claim, and get you the compensation you deserve.

You can reach us at 888-335-4901 or fill out our online form, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Do I Need an E. coli Attorney?

A foodborne illness, such as E. coli poisoning imposes an unexpected financial burden. You must pay medical bills, and you may develop long-term complications that necessitate ongoing care. Filing an E. coli lawsuit can assist you in obtaining the resources you require to focus on your recovery. However, getting such compensation is nearly impossible without the help of an extensively experienced food poisoning attorney.

The responsible entities will rarely agree to accept responsibility for E. coli outbreaks and compensate victims voluntarily. As a result, there is a lot that goes into recouping damages. A victim of an E. coli outbreak must prove that the party responsible is legally liable under state laws which vary by state. The E. coli attorneys at Ron Simon & Associates are well-versed in liability and negligence laws throughout the country. They will make sure you don’t miss out on compensation if your case is valid. We will explain the legal process for seeking compensation in your state and file a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf.

If you lost a loved one as a result of food poisoning, our E. coli lawyers can assist you in filing a wrongful death lawsuit.

Can I Sue if I Get E. coli?

Yes. Food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers must follow food safety rules to ensure that only safe food is sold. If an entity is negligent in their job and you contract E. coli through contaminated food, you have a right to sue them. Whether or not your case is valid depends on the availability of evidence linking your foodborne illness to the food distributed, sold, or served by a specific entity. You can also file an E. coli lawsuit if you get an E. coli infection while visiting a petting zoo.

Our E. coli lawyers have decades of experience uncovering evidence that proves the following:

  • The illness was caused by visiting a specific location or eating a particular food.
  • Your stool test revealed the presence of E. coli. In the event of an outbreak, the test reveals an E. coli strain with a similar genetic fingerprint to the rest of the affected population.
  • The same strain of E. coli found in your stool contaminated the food consumed, or the location visited.

Symptoms of E. coli infections can take up to a week to appear, making tracing the source of bacteria difficult (especially when there are no other reported cases). That’s why we recommend contacting a food poisoning attorney as soon as you are diagnosed with an E. coli infection. This ensures that our E. coli law firm begins investigations into all suspected locations and foods as quickly as possible.

What Damages Can I Claim in an E. Coli Lawsuit?

If the negligence of another party caused your foodborne illness, you should not have to pay for it. When an E. coli lawyer at Ron Simon & Associates uncovers the liable parties and evidence, you can file an E. coli lawsuit to recover economic and non-economic damages resulting from the illness, such as:

  • Past, present, and future medical treatment bills
  • Pain and suffering
  • Lost income
  • Time lost away from work
  • Emotional distress
  • Permanent disfigurement and physical impairment
  • Lost earning capacity (if disabled)
  • Legal fees
  • Loss of enjoyment in life
  • Wrongful death

Why Choose Our E. coli Lawyers?

  • Ron Simon & Associates’ attorneys have decades of experience representing thousands of victims of E. coli outbreaks throughout the United States.
  • We have a track record of winning big personal injury lawsuits against corporate giants, retailers, and other entities.
  • Our E. coli attorneys build a strong case on your behalf without charging any upfront fees, and we only get paid when you win.
  • We have won large sums of money for our clients, including $13.2 million for a 5-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl who developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome as a result of E. coli poisoning.
  • Our E. coli attorneys don’t rest until justice is served, and you are paid every penny to cover your damages.

Seeking compensation for the suffering caused by illness during an E. coli outbreak or recall shouldn’t be difficult. Our job is to dig out the truth, hold the responsible parties accountable, and get victims the compensation they deserve.

What Is E. coli?

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a diverse group of bacteria that are usually found in the environment and intestines of healthy people and warm-blooded animals. The majority of E. coli strains are harmless, but a few, such as E. coli O157:H7, are pathogenic, meaning they cause illness (usually diarrhea). These pathogenic E. coli strains are spread through contaminated water or food, as well as contact with infected animals or people.

There are several pathogenic E. coli bacteria categorized into the following pathotypes:

  • Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)
  • Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC)
  • Diffusely adherent E. coli (DAEC)
  • Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC)
  • Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC)
  • Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC)

The bacteria that produce Shiga toxin are referred to as “Shiga toxin-producing” E. coli or abbreviated as STEC. E. coli infections are among the most common foodborne illnesses, with approximately 265,000 STEC infections occurring in the United States each year.

How Does E. coli Contaminate Food and Water?

E Coli infections are typically caused by consuming contaminated food or water like ground beef, water, undercooked vegetables, and unpasteurized milk. These illness-causing bacteria can come into contact with food in a variety of ways, including:

  1. Human or animal stool comes into contact with food or water.
  2. Someone handling food without cleaning their hands properly after using the restroom.
  3. E. coli bacteria in the intestines of animals like cattle get on the meat during slaughtering and processing (ground beef).
  4. E. coli bacteria on a cow’s udder get into raw milk.
  5. Human and animal stool gets into ground and surface water, for instance, rivers, irrigation waters, etc.

Symptoms of E. coli Infection

The symptoms of E. coli infection vary from one person to another and depending on the severity of the illness. Among the symptoms are:

  • Severe stomach cramps
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Slight fever of less than 101˚F (in some people)
  • Bloody diarrhea or stool
  • Decreased urine output

How Fast Do E. coli Symptoms Manifest?

Symptoms of a STEC infection begin 3-4 days after consuming food contaminated with the bacteria. However, you could get sick one day after the exposure or up to ten days later.

How Long Does E. coli Poisoning Last?

The majority of people recover from E. coli infections within a week. While most healthy adults only get mild E. coli infections, some people get severe or even fatal diseases.

People with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, the elderly, and young children are especially vulnerable to more severe complications. In fact, about 5-10% of people infected with STEC develop a potentially fatal kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) about a week after symptoms appear. While most HUS patients recover within a few weeks of treatment, others develop a chronic illness or even die.

Some of the signs that someone is developing HUS include:

  • Reduced urination frequency
  • Pink color loss in lower eyelids and cheeks
  • Extreme fatigue

What Happens if You Leave E. coli Untreated?

E. coli mild infections usually go away without treatment within a week. However, patients who experience the following symptoms should promptly contact their health care provider:

  • Diarrhea that lasts for more than three days
  • Bloody diarrhea
  • Diarrhea with a fever (higher than 102˚F)
  • Passing very little urine
  • Excessive vomiting, which doesn’t allow you to keep liquids down

Watching out for such symptoms and contacting a healthcare provider is essential as the infection could progress to any of these conditions:

  • Urinary tract infection
  • Pneumonia
  • Abdominal and pelvic infection
  • Meningitis (bacteria cross the blood-brain barrier)
  • Bacteremia (bacteria enter the bloodstream)
  • Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)

Who Can I Sue if I Get E. coli?

You have the right to sue the parties involved in the processing, distribution, or sale of the contaminated food that sickened you or a loved one. Whether or not you can hold a specific party responsible for the E. coli food poisoning is greatly influenced by the conditions that led to the contamination of the food.

The goal of investigations is to determine whether any party is responsible for the contamination. It could be any entity in the food supply chain, for instance:

  • Processing companies (like slaughterhouses or farms)
  • Suppliers (mainly wholesalers and distributors)
  • Retailers (for example, restaurants or grocery stores)

Our E. coli attorneys carefully trace every step of the contaminated food to determine who is responsible and who you can sue. It is common for more than one party/company to be involved.

How Much Is My E. coli Case Worth?

Your case may be worth millions of dollars, especially if you become severely ill or develop complications. However, the amount of compensation you are entitled to varies depending on several factors surrounding your case, such as:

  • Age
  • Wage loss
  • Medical treatment expenses
  • The severity of your medical complications (wrongful death suit)
  • Need for ongoing medical and other care
  • The loss of earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering caused

We have obtained million and multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients.

While prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, you can count on our attorneys to provide you with skilled representation and sound legal counsel.

Do food producers legally have to tell you if the food product has been contaminated with E. coli?

Manufacturers, producers, and sellers are not supposed to distribute any food contaminated with pathogenic strains of E. coli. They must adhere to proper food safety guidelines to ensure that the food they produce and distribute is fit for human consumption.

Who Investigates Escherichia coli Outbreaks?

During a foodborne illness outbreak, such as E. coli, investigations are conducted to trace the illnesses back to a specific brand, farm, manufacturer, establishment, or other location where the contaminated food was manufactured, purchased, or served.

Tracebacks in the U.S. are handled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local health departments, or state health officials. Tracebacks occur when two or more people contract the same illness after eating the same food or drink.

What Happens When There Is an E. coli Outbreak?

When a doctor diagnoses a patient with E. coli, they voluntarily report the case to the state or local health department. States can then report to CDC, which investigates the outbreak if two or more people are ill after consuming the same food or visiting the same location. CDC investigates to find the source of the outbreak and locate sickened individuals to understand the scope of the infections.

If necessary, food recalls of the implicated foods or beverages are made by the FDA to prevent more people from getting sick.

Individuals can also report the cases directly to the CDC.

Is There an E. coli Outbreak Right Now in 2022?

Wendy’s Romaine Lettuce E. coli Outbreak

According to the CDC, As of August 27, 2022, there have been 84 reported cases of E. coli. While the food source remains unknown it is potentially linked to Wendy’s Romaine Lettuce. The E. coli lawyers at Ron Simon & Associates have filed the first Wendy’s E. coli Outbreak Lawsuit.

Contact an Experienced E. coli Lawyer Today

You can contact our experienced food poisoning lawyers by calling 888-335-4901 or filling out our online form, and we will respond as soon as possible!

An E. coli lawyer at our law firm will analyze your case and file a lawsuit on your behalf, if necessary. Our attorneys have decades of experience defending victims of E. coli food poisoning. We hold schools, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and other food handlers accountable if their actions result in the illness. Food poisoning lawsuits are difficult to pursue because corporate behemoths fight back, but we have a proven track record of obtaining fair compensation for our clients.

Our E. coli lawyers have won millions for our clients who were injured by contaminated food and water. Let us help you today.

If you’re sickened by contaminated food and beverages, you have a legal right to sue the negligent party. We offer a free consultation to help you determine if you have a valid legal claim and discuss potential compensation for your damages.

Give us a call today at (888) 335-4901 to speak with an E. coli outbreak lawyer or complete the contact form below, and we’ll get back to you.

Filing an E. coli claim against the liable parties also helps to put the negligent party in check and ensure they don’t repeat a mistake that puts others at risk too in the future.