Perhaps no product on the market requires more trust from the American consumer than food. Whether we purchase food from the supermarket or at a restaurant, all of us assume that what we are about to eat is safe and has been properly inspected and cared for before being offered to us. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, and when this situation arises, you need the help of Arizona food poisoning lawyers to properly fight for your legal rights.
Below youll find information regarding how food poisoning occurs, symptoms associated with food poisoning, the dangers food poisoning can present, challenges someone faces when attempting to prove a claim of food poisoning and finally how you should proceed in hiring an Arizona personal injury lawyer if you or someone you love has suffered because of food poisoning.
How Food Poisoning Happens
Food poisoning is extremely prevalent in the United States, and most would underestimate how many people every year are affected by this problem. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 76 million cases of food poisoning occur in the United States every year. Beyond that, approximately 300,000 people are hospitalized with food poisoning and 5,000 people are killed. These estimates should be treated with caution, however, as many cases of food poisoning are never diagnosed.
Basically, food poisoning occurs when someone ingests food that is contaminated with some sort of impurity thats harmful. These poisonous agents can include viruses or bacteria, and there are also foods that can be dangerous if they are not properly prepared. In addition, improper storage of food can lead to food poisoning, especially if the food in question needs to be kept frozen or in a cool place and instead its exposed to heat and other warming agents.
Aside from problems with food storage, food preparation and improper inspections for potential problems, food poisoning can also result from someone eating food thats been treated with certain pesticides or other chemical agents that can be harmful. In all, food poisoning can occur in any number of ways, but the common element that exists is that those who suffer from food poisoning do not see it coming.
Common Types and Symptoms of Food Poisoning
There are innumerable types of food poisoning, but some types are more common than others. Most of these common types of food poisoning are related to certain bacteria or other impurities that exist in food thats sold and eaten. A few examples of these common types of food poisoning include:
- Salmonella
- E. coli
- Listeria
- Campylobacter
These types of agents can exist in almost any type of food, despite myths that exist regarding such foods as pork, chicken and fish among many others.
There are also numerous symptoms of food poisoning, and some are more common than others. Examples of common symptoms of food poisoning include:
- Fever
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- General weakness
- Abdominal pain
- Cold sweats
Food poisoning symptoms do not necessarily appear immediately after ingesting problematic food. Some symptoms will appear a few hours after eating the food in question while others will not appear for several days, making it difficult to identify the food that caused the problem.
Proving a Claim of Food Poisoning
Given the varying durations between eating poisonous food and the appearance of symptoms, it can be very difficult to pinpoint which food caused the problem and when the food poisoning occurred. While doctors will generally be able to identify the virus or the bacteria thats invaded the body, they will not generally be able to identify the agent that caused it.
Therefore, if someone brings a claim against a supermarket or a restaurant, the burden of proof can be difficult to meet without the help of a skilled Arizona personal injury lawyer experienced in food poisoning cases. Almost every defense for a claim brought on this basis will include a challenge that the plaintiff cannot prove that the food sold by the defendant was in fact contaminated unless many people got sick as a result of eating a similar product.
Therefore, if you or someone you love has been harmed by food poisoning, you need to engage the help of an experienced Phoenix food poisoning personal injury attorney in order to conduct a thorough and potentially exhaustive investigation in order to pinpoint when and where the food poisoning occurred and to identify which party or parties are responsible.
If you find yourself in this situation, you have clearly suffered greatly through no fault of your own. Rather than simply accept the struggles that have befallen you, contact the Arizona food poisoning lawyers at the law firm of Phillips Law Group today to schedule a free initial consultation.
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