A trusted personal injury lawyer Rhode Island explains the different types of food infections and what to do if you have been a victim of food poisoning.

Personal Injury Lawyer Rhode Island | What To Do If I’ve Been A Victim Of Food Poisoning?Recently I was approached to discuss what to do after being a victim of food poisoning.

This is an issue that affects about 25% of Americans every year.

Most cases are minor; the victims have a quick recovery.

But there are still a number of people that suffer from serious illness and extensive hospital care all simply from an episode of food poisoning.

If you have been a victim of food poisoning the most important thing to do is act, and act quickly.

Even if your episode of food poisoning ends up being minor, if you take the proper steps initially, you can protect yourself from possible harm.




Personal Injury Lawyer Rhode Island | Causes Of Food Poisoning

When food companies or individuals of these companies are negligent during the growing, packaging, distribution, preparation, and serving or food products, food poisoning is the likely result.

It can happen in restaurants, cafeterias, or anywhere that you go to eat. As a personal injury lawyer Rhode Island I know that there are many types of food infections and here are a few of the most common:

Staphylococcus aureaus: or Staph aureus. People usually get this when their food has not been properly refrigerated.

E. coli: This type of poisoning usually happens when there is unsafe food preparation, processing of meat/poultry, or water has been contaminated from humane waste or manure.

Salmonella: This infection is a bacterial disease. People are infected through contaminated food or water. It is commonly found in food like meat, poultry, eggs, and fruit/vegetables that have been washed in water.

Listeria: This type of poisoning can be found in certain raw animal products like meat or cheese, fruit, or vegetables. The poisoning spreads by contaminated soil and water.

 

Personal Injury Lawyer Rhode Island | What To Do If I’ve Been A Victim Of Food Poisoning?

  1. First, if you are in a restaurant when you begin to feel sick, let the staff know. Preferably fill out an incident report and retain a copy. At the very least speak with the manager and get his or her name.
  2. If you get sick sometime after leaving the restaurant, which is most common, hen visit a local ER or clinic to get your medical condition documented. Explain in great detail to the medical staff that you believe you may be suffering from food poisoning. Tell them what you ingested, when you ingested it, and where. Also describe your symptoms completely. Ruling out other medical possibilities usually makes a food poisoning diagnosis. Therefore, try to give them as much detail as you can. Your information will appear in the medical records which the restaurant or the insurance carrier will eventually review.
  3. Follow up with your primary care at least once. If additional follow ups are necessary then do so until you have completely recovered. Again, documentation is key.
  4. Contact a personal injury lawyer Rhode Island who handles these matters. The Kevin P Landry Law Offices have years of experience with injury cases. If you have suffered from food poisoning, contact us today for a free consultation.