The Bad Bug Law Team at our law firm is investigating a Salmonella outbreak at Tarheel Q Barbecue Restaurant on U.S. Highway 64 West near the Yadkin River in Lexington, North Carolina. A Salmonella wrongful death lawsuit could be filed in Davidson County Superior Court based on findings by the Davidson County Health Department that one of 250 case patients in the outbreak passed away. Details regarding the deceased person won’t be publicly released to protect patient confidentiality, but the health department has said the person had an underlying health condition and symptoms of Salmonella infection.
Tarheel Q lawsuits already are being filed on behalf of the Salmonella victims who became so sick they had to go to the clinic, emergency room or hospital room. Even if your pain and misery from this foodborne illness did not prompt a doctor visit, you still may have standing for Salmonella litigation against the restaurant. Tarheel Q closed temporarily while the health department worked to stop the outbreak and prevent additional illness.
Our lawyers have handled numerous Salmonella death cases and has successfully sued restaurants for millions of dollars in connection with food poisoning. In addition, past clients of the firm in Salmonella death cases have used their next-of-kin status to advocate before U.S. policy makers to strengthen regulation of the food industry, including oversight and enforcement at restaurants.
How Do I Know If I Have a Case?
If you ate food or drank beverages at Tarheel Q since June 6 and became sick with diarrhea within four days of your visit, you are urged to call the Davidson County Health Department’s hotline at 336-242-2300. If your illness has been associated with the Tarheel Q Salmonella outbreak in any way, you should contact our law firm for a free case consultation. Many customers of the restaurant have already been to the doctor and were diagnosed with the illness. Other patients have received lab confirmation that Salmonella bacteria caused their illness. The best cases are those built around DNA “fingerprint” evidence that shows patients were sickened by the same strain of Salmonella as was detected in BBQ served by Tarheel Q.
What if the Investigation Doesn’t Pinpoint the Cause?
You could still sue Tarheel Q. North Carolina public health officials at the state and county level have done an excellent job linking Tarheel Q to the rash of Salmonella infections among Tarheel Q customers from 19 counties in North Carolina and from places in five other states. This work is called the science of epidemiology and it is sound evidence, even if the exact source of contamination is not identified. In some past restaurant outbreaks of foodborne illness, sick food handlers were found to have inadvertently spread the disease by contaminating various foods.
Who Should I Call?
Our law firm is one of the very few legal groups in the country practicing extensively in food poisoning lawsuits. Contact us now for a free case consultation and explanation of your legal right to sue a restaurant for compensation. Any of the attorneys on the Bad Bug Law Team can be reached by dialing 1-888-377-8900 (toll free).