New Jersey Foodborne Illness

Have you suffered food poisoning or developed a foodborne illness from contaminated food or drink? If so, you may be owed compensation from the food manufacturer or food service establishment that’s to blame for your ailment. However, these deep-pocketed companies are prepared to do whatever it takes to avoid paying you fairly. That’s why you need the help of a New Jersey food poisoning lawyer from Hartford, P.C., to fight back.

Founding attorney Scott A. Hartford is a former defense attorney for insurers and Fortune 500 corporations. He has seen first-hand how big companies defend against injury claims at the expense of the ordinary people they’ve harmed. Today, Scott uses his hard-won knowledge and experience to develop tailored, effective legal strategies to help people like you seek maximum financial recovery. 

When you contact our firm, you will speak directly with Scott, who will personally evaluate your case, discuss the details of your injury with you, and advise you on whom you may hold liable for what you’ve suffered. Don’t wait to put his experience to work on your behalf. Reach out to Hartford, P.C., today for a free food poisoning case evaluation, and let’s pursue the justice you deserve together. 

Benefits of Hiring an Attorney for Your Food Poisoning Claim

Pursuing a food poisoning claim can quickly become a complex process. Liable parties such as food manufacturers or food service providers may deny responsibility for your illness. They could claim that some other food made you sick or argue that your health complications had another cause. Proving fault for your food poisoning will require a carefully developed legal case.

By hiring a New Jersey food poisoning lawyer, you will benefit from having an experienced legal advocate in your corner who knows how to investigate and prepare food poisoning claims. Furthermore, your attorney can handle all the details in your legal case while you focus on medical treatment and getting better. 

The team at Hartford, P.C., is prepared to help you by:

• Thoroughly investigating your claim to recover all available evidence, including photographs, surveillance footage, maintenance records, inspection reports, staffing records, operational records, and eyewitness testimony
• Working with experts as necessary to establish the nature of the contamination in your food or drink, identify your injuries, and calculate the cost of the harm you suffered as a result
• Coordinating with your medical providers to secure medical records and testimony for your case
• Evaluating your legal options for seeking financial recovery
• Explaining your legal rights and the claims process so you know what to expect at each stage of your case
• Filing your claims against liable parties and dealing with corporate representatives, insurance adjusters, or defense lawyers as needed
• Keeping in regular contact with you throughout your case to update you on the progress of your claims and answer any questions you may have
• Aggressively pursuing maximum compensation for you, whether through a fair and full settlement or by taking your case to court and trial to demand accountability and justice from those responsible for your harm

What Steps Should You Take If You Suspect Food Poisoning in New Jersey?

There are certain steps you can take that will help you pursue a food poisoning case against those responsible for your illness. Here’s what you should do:

• Preserve or photograph the food or drink that made you sick to document visible contamination or potentially send samples for contamination testing.
• Seek immediate medical attention if you suffer symptoms of severe food poisoning to begin treatment before developing potentially life-threatening complications.
• Request copies of your medical records of your treatment.
• Keep all bills, invoices, or receipts for medical expenses from your care.
• Gather copies of your pay stubs or income statements to calculate lost wages if you need to take time off work to recover from a foodborne illness. 

Finally, contact a New Jersey food poisoning attorney from Hartford, P.C., as soon as possible to discuss your legal options for pursuing financial recovery for the harm you’ve endured. 

What Compensation Could You Recover in a New Jersey Food Poisoning Claim?

If you’ve suffered health complications due to contaminated or unsafe food, you may have the right to seek financial recovery from the parties responsible for serving you tainted food. Food poisoning compensation can include money to cover your:

• Medical expenses, including hospitalization, surgeries, medication, or specialist appointments
• Loss of wages/income from missed time from work
• Lost future earning capacity if you become disabled from your job due to a severe food-related illness
• Physical pain and anguish
• Emotional distress
• Lost quality of life caused by chronic disability or illness

In rare cases, someone who suffers severe foodborne illness may receive punitive damages from a jury. Punitive damages do not compensate an injured person for something they suffered. Instead, they punish an at-fault party for egregious misconduct, such as knowingly selling or serving contaminated food. The goal is to deter others from engaging in similar conduct in the future. 

Who Could Be Held Liable for Food Poisoning in New Jersey?

Many different individuals, businesses, and other organizations responsible for handling food and beverages could bear food poisoning liability for allowing it to become contaminated. They include the following:

• Food manufacturers
• Food distributors 
• Grocery stores, supermarkets, or other food retailers
• Food service providers, such as restaurants, food trucks, or bars

What Are Common Causes of Foodborne Illnesses?

Some of the most common causes of food and drink contamination include:

• Improper refrigeration or heating of food items
• Not cooking certain foods to proper temperatures
• Dirty/contaminated manufacturing equipment or cooking utensils
• Lack of adequate sanitation practices in a food manufacturing or preparation facility
• Poor employee health or hygiene
• Using food from unsafe or unapproved sources
• Cross-contamination, or using the same equipment with cooked and uncooked foods without sanitizing in between uses
• Preparing excessive amounts of food, which can lead to storage problems that result in contamination
• Mixing raw and cooked foods
• Mixing old and new batches of food

Bacteria, viruses, and parasites may thrive in foods that are not appropriately handled or stored at the correct temperatures. When food is undercooked, harmful organisms that would otherwise be eliminated will remain active, potentially leading to foodborne illnesses. Cross-contamination, particularly from raw to cooked foods, can introduce pathogens into otherwise safe food.

What Types of Contamination Can Be Found in Foods?

Improperly stored or handled food and drink can become contaminated with different types of hazardous materials and substances that can cause illness or medical emergencies. Contaminations that lead to common types of foodborne illnesses include the following:

• Viruses, including Hepatitis A, Norovirus, and Rotavirus
• Bacteria, including Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus, and Vibrio
• Parasites, such as Giardia lamblia
• Mold
• Toxic substances, such as mercury or lead
• Allergens
• Foreign objects, such as glass shards, bandages, or insects

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Food Poisoning?

Food poisoning can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on the nature of the contamination in the food or beverage. Common symptoms of food poisoning include:

• Upset stomach
• Cramps/stomach pain
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhea, including with bloody stool
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headache
• Fever

Symptoms of severe food poisoning can include:

• Diarrhea lasting for several days
• Blurred or double vision
• Trouble swallowing
• Changes in the sound of one’s voice
• Tingling or numbness
• Weakness or loss of motor function

How Long Do You Have to File a Food Poisoning Lawsuit in New Jersey?

Under New Jersey’s statute of limitations, you typically have two years after suffering a foodborne illness to file a food poisoning lawsuit against the company responsible for contaminating your food. However, you can best protect your legal options by speaking with a food poisoning lawyer in New Jersey from Hartford, P.C., as soon as possible after getting sick. Perishable evidence won’t last long, yet it could be central to your claim. Further, you may lose the opportunity to seek financial recovery if you file a lawsuit after the applicable deadline expires. 

What Are Typical Injuries Resulting from Food Poisoning?

Severe food poisoning can lead to catastrophic and potentially life-threatening injuries and medical complications, such as:

• Septic blood poisoning
• Kidney failure
• Brain or nerve damage
• Damage to the gastrointestinal tract caused by foreign objects such as glass
• Chronic arthritis and joint damage
• Viral, bacterial, or parasitic infection

You should not have to struggle alone with the adverse outcomes of someone else’s careless or wrongful behavior. Get help from a legal professional and stand up for your rights today. 

Contact a Food Poisoning and Foodborne Illness Attorney in New Jersey Today

If you or a loved one has suffered health complications or illness from food poisoning, Hartford, P.C., wants to help you hold at-fault food manufacturers or food service companies accountable for your harm. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a New Jersey food poisoning lawyer. You’ll learn how we can help you recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.