Lawyers for Your Vibriosis Lawsuit against a Restaurant
Attorney Eric Hageman leads our experienced Vibrio food poisoning lawsuit team. Contact them to find out if you have a personal injury or wrongful death claim against a restaurant and can file a lawsuit for compensation. Our lawyers are some of the few in the U.S. who have won these cases. You can use the form below to contact Eric about a lawsuit for money damages.
What is Vibrio Food Poisoning?
Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio cholerae (cholera) are bacteria that occur naturally in warm coastal areas. These bacteria are found in higher concentrations in the summer months when water gets warmer.
Each year, about 1,000 confirmed cases of Vibrio are reported in the U.S. But because Vibrio isn’t easily identified with routine testing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 80,000 illnesses may occur annually. About 80 percent of confirmed cases are reported between May and October.
There are two ways to get a Vibrio infection, or vibriosis -eating seafood contaminated with Vibrio or getting seawater containing Vibrio in an open wound. About 65 percent of Vibrio infections are foodborne. These cases result from eating raw or undercooked seafood such as oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp, lobster, crab, crayfish, conch, scallops, and finfish. Raw oysters account for the vast majority of cases.
About 20 percent of V. vulnificus infections are fatal, and death can occur within two days. Attorney Eric Hageman has represented families whose loved ones died in this way in wrongful death lawsuits against restaurants.
Symptoms of Infection
Among healthy people, vibriosis can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and chills. These symptoms usually develop within one to three days of ingestion and last about 72 hours. Severe infections are characterized by fever and chills, decreased blood pressure (septic shock), and blistering skin lesions.
People at Risk
People with serious underlying health conditions are at highest risk of getting seriously ill. In these cases, the infection can enter the bloodstream, causing a life-threatening illness called sepsis or septicemia. Some conditions that put people at high risk for serious illness or death from Vibrio infections include:
- Liver disease (from hepatitis, cirrhosis, alcoholism, or cancer) (200 times more likely to die)
- Iron overload disease (hemochromatosis)
- Diabetes
- Cancer (including lymphomas, leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease)
- Stomach disorders
- Any illness or medical treatment that weakens the body’s immune system, including HIV infection
Even if the person had one of the above conditions, it may be possible to sue a restaurant.
Experienced Vibrio Lawyers
If you or a family member developed a Vibrio infection from contaminated cashew brie and would like a free consultation with an experienced Vibrio lawyer, please contact the Pritzker Hageman Vibrio Legal Team. You can reach us by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or by completing the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.
Vibriosis Outbreak News
June 2023, Missouri Man Dies from Vibrio in Raw Oysters
A 54-year-old Missouri man died after consuming raw oysters contaminated with Vibrio vulnificus he purchased at the Fruit Stand & Seafood in Manchester.
August 2021, Raw Oyster Outbreak in Seattle, WA
Eight Seattle restaurants, including White Swan Public House and the Crab Pot, were linked to vibrio illnesses from raw oysters during the 2021 summer season.
May 2019 Raw Oyster Vibrio Outbreak in California
A Vibrio outbreak linked to raw oysters harvested off the Baja California coast sickened 12 people who ate them at restaurants and prepared them at home. Some of the case patients also tested positive for Shigella, norovirus and E. coli.
September 2018 Import Crab Meat Outbreak
A Vibrio outbreak linked to crab meat imported from Venezuela that was sold at grocery stores and served at restaurants. Twenty-six people were sickened, nine people were hospitalized.
September 2014 Massachusetts Oyster Vibrio Outbreak
Oyster beds in Katama Bay in the community of Edgartown, Massachusetts, have been closed effective September 3, 2014. The closure happened after 4 people who had eaten raw oysters harvested in the area were diagnosed with Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
August 2012 Washington Outbreak Sickens 30
Thirty cases of Vibrio food poisoning in Washington State have been associated with eating raw oysters from three commercial growing areas: Totten Inlet near Olympia, North Bay and Dabob Bay in north Hood Canal.