Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is a common illness. While it is usually mild, it can be deadly. After consuming a contaminated food or drink, symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and cramping occur. In addition, fever, chills, dehydration, and nervous system damage may follow. If many people eat the same contaminated product, it is termed an outbreak.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), food poisoning causes 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths annually in the United States. Over one billion dollars in medical costs and lost work time is due to the salmonella bacteria alone.

On a world scale, diarrheal illnesses are among the leading causes of death. When Americans travel to developing countries they often experience food poisoning as traveler’s diarrhea or “Montezuma’s revenge.” Additionally, with the prevalence of global terrorism, there are now new threats to the world’s food supply, as the possibility of using food toxins as weapons is increasingly likely.

The CDC has identified more than 250 diseases that are transmitted through food. Many food poisoning cases are not reported because people only suffer mild symptoms. Doctors often do not test for a cause of food poisoning, as doing so may not change the prescribed treatment. Therefore, it is difficult to have an accurate count for how many cases appear each year.

Contact Us

If you have suffered from food poisoning due to another party’s negligence, you may be able to claim compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and more. Contact the Wausau personal injury lawyers of Habush Habush & Rottier at 1-800-242-2874 to learn more about your legal options.