Do you suspect or know that you suffered food poisoning? If so, you may be able to get compensation for your illness, including payment for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

The Chicago food poisoning lawyers of Willens & Baez understand that food poisoning cases are often complex and involve a number of disciplines including, but not limited to, medicine, microbiology and epidemiology.  We have the specific legal and medical knowledge necessary to handle these types of cases.

Common Types of Food Poisoning

According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 90% of foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalization and/or death are caused by the following pathogens:

• Salmonella
• Toxoplasma
• Listeria
• Norovirus
• Campylobacter
• E. Coli

If you have been diagnosed with any of these types of infections, you should suspect food poisoning. Most of these infections result in symptoms like:

• Diarrhea and vomiting, which may be very severe, and may include blood
• Fever
• Abdominal cramping
• Muscle pain
• Fatigue
• Dehydration
• Painful urination

Symptoms can last for as little as 1 day or more than a week.

Toxoplasmosis is different from the other foodborne illnesses in that it results in mostly vision-related symptoms because it targets the eyes and brain. If you suffer blurred vision, light sensitivity, and other vision symptoms, you should see a doctor.

Salmonella Food Poisoning

Salmonella is a bacterium that lives in the intestinal tracts of people and other warm-blooded animals, including cattle.  Salmonella bacteria can be transmitted to people who eat foods contaminated with animal feces, although they may look and smell normal.. Infection can be caused by as little as 15 Salmonella cells.

It typically takes 6 to 72 hours for the onset of symptoms.

Medical treatment for salmonellosis typically involves treatment of the symptoms, such as prescribing anti-nausea or anti-diarrheal medications.  Some physicians prescribe antibiotics. More severe cases of salmonellosis may require intravenous fluids for treatment of dehydration, usually administered in an emergency room or urgent-care setting.  The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to experience a severe illness or even death as a result of ingesting Salmonella bacteria.

Compensation for Food Poisoning

If you or a loved one has been the victim of food poisoning, you may be able to recover monetary compensation for your injuries. Compensation may be available for:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Pain, suffering, and other noneconomic damages
• Disability
• Disfigurement

Contact our Chicago Food Poisoning Lawyers

Foodborne illness cases, as is the case of many personal injury cases, are not as simple as they may seem. It is vital for a food poisoning victim to contact an attorney as soon as possible to investigate the facts and preserve important evidence. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured as the result of food poisoning, the Chicago food poisoning lawyers of Willens & Baez can help protect your rights and assist you in recovering monetary compensation that you need and deserve.

Contact us today for your FREE consultation at (312) 957-4166 as soon as possible to find out how we can help you. We advance all costs and do not get paid unless and until we obtain a monetary award, so if you have a food poisoning case, you can rest assured that we will aggressively fight for you.