Food safety lawyer and E. coli expert Fred Pritzker is urging victims of the E. coli food poisoning outbreak linked to a picnic at Neff’s Lawn Care in Germantown, Ohio to protect their legal rights. Fred recently resolved several Ohio E. coli O157 cases, winning money for victims and their families.
As of today, the outbreak has sickened 68 people who ate at the July 3 picnic at Neff’s Lawn Care have been sickened. Of those, 14 were hospitalized, 3 with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication of an E. coli infection that causes kidney failure and a host of other problems. The three HUS victims are a 4-year old female, a 14-year old male, and a 73-year old male.
Ohio E. coli Food Poisoning Investigation
Dayton & Montgomery County officials have not determined the specific food product that caused the E. coli infections, but have indicated that it was most likely a carry-in food item. It is also possible that some meat products grilled at the picnic were contaminated with E. coli. Public Health is continuing to gather information through interviews with those who became ill and those who prepared the food. Investigators are also looking at food sources, food handling and storage practices, food temperature controls, and the potential of cross contamination of the food.
Even if the specific food product responsible for the outbreak is not conclusively determined, victims may have legal options. Fred has won many food poisoning cases where the specific food source was not determined.
E. coli and HUS: Future Medical Problems
In most E. coli outbreaks, 5 to 15 percent of infections develop into hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), where patients endure kidney failure and a host of other life-threatening health problems, including pancreatitis, stroke, coma and heart attack. All HUS victims are at risk for future kidney failure and many eventually need a kidney transplant.
Recent medical research has found that even people with ‘mild’ E. coli food poisoning are at risk for future kidney impairment, neurological damage, diabetes, vascular problems and various forms of gastrointestinal disease. These long-term risks need to be considered when determining the value of an E. coli food poisoning case.
