Our E. coli lawyers represent clients nationwide who have been sickened by contaminated food. Recently we secured a $7.5 million verdict on behalf of a young client whose kidneys failed. We also obtained a $4.5 settlement on behalf of a teenager who ate contaminated food at a restaurant.
How Can Our E. coli Attorneys Help You?
We help people sickened in outbreaks of illness caused by unsanitary conditions at food company processing facilities, restaurants, and other locations. Our attorneys have helped people sickened in every major E. coli outbreak in the last ten years.
E. coli Lawyer Wins $7.5 Million Jury Verdict
A young child (E.H.) visited a pumpkin farm with her mother and grandmother. One attraction was a small petting zoo.
A few days after visiting the pumpkin farm, E.H. became ill with severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. She had an E. coli O157:H7 infection. The toxins produced by the deadly E. coli bacteria had moved to her kidneys. In just days she went from being a healthy little girl to being in intensive care at a hospital, fighting for her life. She had developed HUS, and her kidneys had shut down. She recovered, but the renal damage is permanent, and she may need a kidney transplant in the future.
The family hired our law firm to help them. Our food poisoning lawyers worked on this case and found that on the day of little E.H.’s visit, thousands of pounds of manure, together with contaminated bedding and hay, littered the animal enclosure area. Manure was everywhere, on animals, the ground, as well as on the gate through which little children reached to pet and feed the animals.
In addition, in violation of industry guidelines, the owners did not provide handwashing stations or warning signs.
The Pritzker Hageman E. coli team took the case to trial and won a $7.55 million verdict for little E.H. (File # 27-CV-14-17068).
E. coli Lawyer Wins $4.5 Million Settlement for Client
One of our clients was a young woman who got sick after eating beef. Our client and her family had gone to a restaurant to celebrate her good grades. A few days later she had severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. These symptoms soon developed into hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Her kidneys failed, and she almost died.
The family contacted us when she was in the hospital. The state health department had not determined what food caused her illness, so we began an independent investigation. After the beef served at the restaurant was pinpointed, we sued the beef processor, supplier, and restaurant.
This is one of many E. coli lawsuits filed by our food poisoning legal team.
Outbreak Investigation
Some of the things we do when we investigate an outbreak include the following, when appropriate:
- Hire top-notch epidemiologists and other experts to help us gather evidence and build our case;
- Obtain all local, state, and federal documents pertaining to the outbreak and the companies involved in the outbreak;
- Personally inspect any food manufacturing plant involved;
- Depose executives, managers, and others of any companies involved, including food manufacturers, restaurants, distributors;
- Obtain relevant documents from all companies involved.
E. coli Lawsuit Compensation
Unless you or a loved one has been sickened by this deadly pathogen, it is impossible to comprehend the horrific nature of this infection. As with our young clients discussed above, in severe cases, patients can develop hemolytic uremic syndrome or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), which is similar to HUS, but generally affects only adults.
Compensation depends on the facts of the case, the insurance policies involved, and other factors. It may include amounts for the following:
- Hospital bills and other medical expenses;
- Cost of care;
- Lost income;
- Pain and suffering, which includes amounts for physical pain, emotional distress, disability, and loss of quality of life.
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
Our team of E. coli attorneys have successfully represented children and adults who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a renal disease that creates small blood clots in the kidneys which shreds red blood cells. This lowers the red blood cell count to dangerous levels (anemia). The kidneys stop working, which then causes other organs, including the brain and other parts of the central nervous system, to have problems. In severe cases, a patient, child, or adult, can:
- Have seizures, a stroke, and/or go into a coma
- Become paralyzed
- Go into cardiac arrest (have a heart attack)
- Develop pancreatitis
- Develop cortical blindness
- Experience respiratory failure
All of these complications are potentially fatal.
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) occurs when too many platelets are destroyed. Blood clots form in blood vessels throughout the body, but primarily in the brain, spine, and kidneys. Because the formation of the blood clots (called thrombi) uses an extremely high number of platelets, the level of platelets in the bloodstream drop to dangerously low levels. This can lead to:
- Hemorrhagic stroke
- Seizures
- Heart damage, sometimes hear failure
- Anemia
- Kidney failure
- Inflammation of the pancreas
- Enlarged liver
- Perforated colon
- Hypertension
- Death.
When someone dies, the law allows the family to pursue a wrongful death claim.
Free Consultation with an E. coli Attorney
Contact the Pritzker Hageman E. coli lawyers for a free consultation. Our attorneys have a national reputation and have been interviewed by The Associated Press, CNN, CBS, FOX, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA, and others.
They are sought-after speakers and have conducted numerous legal seminars and presentations on such matters as top verdicts and settlements, foodborne illness, product liability, trial tactics, and the use of expert witnesses. Our lawyers have spoken at Harvard Law School, Cornell University, Northwestern University, and other institutions.
Outbreak information can be found on the Pritzker Hageman blog and on the CDC website:
- Meijer, Safeway, Sam’s Club, Target Ground Beef E. coli Recall
- Cargill Ground Beef E. coli O26 Outbreak
- Publix Ground Chuck Linked to E. coli O26 Infections and HUS
- E. coli Associated with Eating at Cafe Mario at Nintendo of America
- Romaine E. coli Outbreak Kills 5, 26 Have HUS Kidney Failure
- Over 20 Suffer Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome in Growing Romaine Lettuce E. coli Outbreak (2018)
- Did Restaurants Serve Tainted Lettuce Weeks after E. coli Warning?
- Can I Sue for E. coli from Romaine Lettuce?
- Romaine Lettuce E. coli Lawsuits Filed
- Alaska E. coli Outbreak Prompts CDC Warning about Lettuce from Yuma, AZ
- E. coli from Lettuce in Idaho Cause HUS Kidney Failure
- E. coli Attorney Calls on Restaurants to Stop Serving Sprouts
- E. coli Attorneys Investigate E. coli Outbreak Linked to SoyNut Butter
- Attorney Investigates California E. coli-HUS outbreak
- Twin Cities, MN, E. coli and HUS Lawyer Asks if Pumpkin Farm Had Prevention Plan
- Minnesota E. coli Lawyer
- E. coli Lawyer Investigates Outbreak Linked to Petting Zoo
- E. coli in Water at California School (2017)
- Applebees E. coli Outbreak (2014)
- E. coli-HUS Lawyer and Lawsuit
- E. coli Kidney Failure Lawsuit