Our E. coli attorneys won settlement money for victims of a past outbreak of illnesses linked to a North Carolina fair (see below). They help children sickened at state and county fairs throughout the United States. Contact attorney Fred Pritzker and his team for a free consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), and ask about an E. coli O157 lawsuit seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other damages.
Most people sickened at state and county fairs are young children, and the source of the illnesses is almost always contaminated animal feces. Children who contract E. coli infections are are risk of developing a kind of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
2011 North Carolina State Fair E. coli Outbreak Investigation
Eleven people have lab-confirmed cases of E. coli O157 infections, including children. Some of those children developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, a life-threatening complication of toxic E. coli poisoning that causes kidney failure, stroke, and other central nervous system damage, heart attack, blindness, pancreatitis, and other serious health problems. Children under age 5 are at greatest risk of developing HUS. North Carolina health officials suspect 16 other people are also part of this outbreak.
North Carolina state health officials have determined that the source of the outbreak is the Kelley Building, a place where the public can see livestock exhibits. In 2004, an outbreak at the North Carolina State Fair was linked to an animal exhibit. In that case, 108 people were sickened and litigation is still pending.
“Despite the frequency and severity of these kinds of cases, event operators and participants often fail to take precautions necessary to prevent serious illness,” said lawyer Fred Pritzker. “The safety and well-being of children who attend these events should be a top priority.”
Most cases are in the Raleigh area, and the counties involved and number of cases are as follows:
Wake – 13
Sampson – 6
Cleveland – 1
Durham – 1
Johnston – 1
Lenoir – 1
Orange – 2
Wilson – 2
Attorney Fred Pritzker and his litigation team represent E. coli victims nationwide and have won millions for their clients.