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Tainted Food Products

When food products are not manufactured or packaged properly, the results can be catastrophic.  Tainted food can result in serious illness -- even death.  In 2006, outbreaks of E. coli -- a potentially deadly bacterium that can trigger severe dehydration -- were traced to spinach and lettuce products, and caused illness (including kidney failure) in hundreds of consumers.  Half of those reported sick had to be hospitalized.

Botulism -- another serious illness caused by food-borne bacteria, with symptoms that include abdominal pain, paralysis, and respiratory failure -- has been linked to inadequate canning processes.  In 2007, an equipment failure led to the recall of more than 700,000 pounds of meat that were improperly canned -- and potentially toxic.

The warning signs of botulism -- which include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness -- usually occur from 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  Individuals who think they may have contracted the illness should contact a physician immediately.

The damage that tainted foods cause can be permanent -- and can permanently scar victims and their families.  The law provides a mechanism for redress and accountability, but as with other legal cases, the odds of recovery are greatly enhanced when an experienced, dedicated law firm is called on to assist.

At Mary Alexander & Associates, we have the legal and scientific background -- our founding partner is a Stanford-trained scientist -- to take on, and win, complicated, technical negligence cases, like those involving tainted food products.  And in the process, we help our clients get more than compensation.  We help them get a new chance for a better life.

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