Millions of people each year fall ill from unsafe, tainted, or poorly cooked food they have purchased at the grocery store or eaten while at a restaurant, on an airplane, or on a cruise ship. In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that one in six individuals will get sick from food poisoning this year. Many people also become seriously ill when improperly served food—such as nuts, shellfish, or eggs—to which they are allergic.

Food poisoning can cause a variety of mild-to-severe symptoms, including upset stomach, fever, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and dehydration. In the long term, severe cases of food poisoning can cause kidney failure, brain damages, and even death. At times, food companies are forced to recall products due to potential contaminants or undeclared allergens. Recalls may also result where food products were inadvertently manufactured and/or packaged with plastic fragments or glass shreds. Such recalls, however, may come too late to prevent harm to you and your family.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, bacteria and viruses are the most common causes of food poisoning, with parasites, mold, toxins, and contaminants being less-frequent causes. In particular, the bacteria/viruses known as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria are frequently-cited causes of hospitalization. Moreover, although any individual can fall victim to food poisoning, certain categories of people are more prone to such illness. The elderly, pregnant women and individuals with chronic illnesses (e.g., AIDS, cancer) and weakened immune systems are particularly at risk.

Many well-known strategies exist to reduce the risk that you and your family will get sick from unsafe food—such as frequently cleaning hands and cutting surfaces, and keeping meat, poultry, and eggs separate from other food items in grocery bags and in the refrigerator. However, sometimes food safety is out of your control, making food contamination—and the plethora of symptoms and other illnesses that result—ultimately inevitable. If you or a loved one has fallen ill due to food poisoning or eating tainted meat, you should first seek immediate medical care. Next, it is in your best interest to hire an experienced Massachusetts food borne illness attorney at Altman & Altman, LLP to seek appropriate compensation, including medical expenses and lost wages.

The Greater Boston law firm of Altman & Altman, LLP has provided personal injury clients with exceptional legal representation throughout Massachusetts for over four decades. Our attorneys will handle every aspect of your food poisoning or tainted food claim, and will not hesitate to take your case to trial if an acceptable settlement agreement cannot be reached.

Contact us to schedule a free, confidential consultation with an experienced tainted meat and MA food poisoning attorney. The lawyers at the Boston and Cambridge law firm of Altman & Altman, LLP, pride themselves in their accessibility to clients. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (617) 492-3000 or (800) 481-6199 (toll-free). You may also contact us online. Please note that we represent all victims of food poisoning on a contingency fee basis, which means that we charge no fee unless you recover.