Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Yes. A Giardia Lawyer can help you get compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and the harm caused by your Giardia infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that each year over 1 million cases of intestinal illness are caused by Giardia. It is found in every region in the United States and around the world. One-third of all Giardia infections result in long-term complications. If you or a loved one has suffered from food poisoning then you’re in need of a qualified Giardia lawyer who will advocate on your behalf and assess your Giardia lawsuit diligently. Contact our experienced Giardia Lawyers at The Lange Law Firm, PLLC for a free consultation today.
When selecting a Giardia Lawyer, you want experience, compassion, and dedication. The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has proven this time and time again.
This Giardia outbreak involves the microscopic parasite known as Giardia. We often associate foodborne illnesses with bacteria. But viruses and parasites can also contaminate food and spread illness.
Giardia infections can be foodborne (from infected food workers), waterborne (from contaminated water supply, including municipal water systems), or from the environment. The CDC reports that Giardia infections are one of the most common causes of waterborne disease in the United States.
Giardia food poisoning can be caused by consuming food or drinking water that has been contaminated by feces carrying the parasite.
Giardia symptoms typically begin with diarrhea 2 to 5 times per day and feeling more tired than usual.
Short-term symptoms may include:
Giardia symptoms often start 1 to 2 weeks after becoming infected with Giardia parasites and last for 2 to 6 weeks. Around 1 in 3 people with Giardia infection experience long-term symptoms that can last for years.
Long-term complications may include:
Giardia food poisoning can be spread through contaminated water, food, an infected food handler, and contaminated objects.
Untreated water is a common source of Giardia food poisoning. Giardia parasites are deposited in rivers, streams, and lakes (surface water) by infected animal waste. When this surface water contaminates ground or drinking water, people are exposed to these harmful microbes. Even well water can become contaminated by the time it reaches the tap. Giardia parasites form protective cysts, making them difficult to kill in a drinking water source. You can become infected by drinking, washing your hands, or washing fruits and vegetables with it.
Fruits and vegetables grown in contaminated soil, irrigated with contaminated water, or rinsed with Giardia-contaminated water can cause giardiasis. Irrigation water from feedlot manure runoff is a common way crops become contaminated. When infected feces wash into farms or water sources, the parasite is washing into those areas right along with it. Parasites can become attached to fruits and vegetables, even before they are touched by human hands.
Improper hygiene by an infected food handler can cause a Giardia outbreak. When one person who does not properly wash their hands after using the restroom, potentially hundreds of people can become sick. For this reason, all local health departments have regulations that require handwashing activities after using the restroom facilities.
Trace amounts of contamination on surfaces and objects can spread giardiasis. The cyst form of Giardia parasites allows the microorganism to live outside of a host for months, and just about anything you touch could be contaminated. Door handles, pens, menus, tables, and chairs. Every touch point is an opportunity to contaminate your own hands and a chance to become infected.
There have been 111 recently reported Giardia outbreaks (between 2012 and 2017) with at least 760 related cases. At least six outbreaks with 97 cases were classified as foodborne.
| Transmission mode | No. (%) | |
| Outbreaks | Cases | |
| All modes | 111 (100) | 760 (100) |
| Waterborne (exposure source) | 29 (26) | 370 (49) |
| Tap water systems* | 9 | 94 |
| Recreational water | ||
| Treated (e.g., pool) | 5 | 19 |
| Untreated (e.g., lake) | 4 | 135 |
| Outdoor freshwater (drinking source) | 7 | 103 |
| Other† | 4 | 19 |
| Person-to-person (exposure setting) | 28 (25) | 129 (17) |
| Private home/residence | 14 | 47 |
| Child care facilities | 12 | 49 |
| School/College/University | 2 | 33 |
| Foodborne (food vehicle)§ | 6 (5) | 97 (13) |
| Oysters, raw | 3 | 14 |
| Whole milk, unpasteurized | 1 | 38 |
| Mixed green salad | 1 | 25 |
| Undetermined¶ | 1 | 20 |
| Indeterminate/Unknown (exposure setting)** | 48 (43) | 164 (22) |
| Private home/residence | 33 | 93 |
| Child care facilities | 2 | 25 |
| Other†† | 5 | 17 |
| Undetermined§§ | 8 | 29 |
* Includes municipal systems and private wells.
† Other waterborne outbreaks involved the following exposures: undetermined exposure to outdoor freshwater (two), sewage effluent (one), and undetermined exposure to water (one).
§ Includes confirmed and suspected food vehicles.
¶ Foodborne outbreaks were categorized as undetermined if specific food vehicle was not identified or reported.
** Outbreaks were categorized as having an indeterminate/unknown transmission mode if there was insufficient evidence to implicate one specific primary mode of transmission.
†† Indeterminate/unknown outbreaks categorized as “other” involved the following settings: communitywide (one), fair/festival (one), prison/detention center (one), resort (one), workplace (one).
§§ Indeterminate/unknown outbreaks were categorized as undetermined if specific setting was not identified or reported.
Focus on your recovery and when you are able to, create a written record of the days before you contracted Giardia food poisoning. This information can help narrow down the source of your illness.
Include the following information:
If you have seen your healthcare provider for medical treatment, your doctor may have already reported your giardiasis to the local health department. If not, then you may notify them and also find out if there have been any other recent Giardia poisonings reported.
Also speak to an experienced Giardia Food Poisoning Lawyer immediately so that you are aware of your rights and so they may be protected. A qualified Giardia Lawyer will also help by investigating the facts surrounding your case and the preserving of evidence. Contact a Giardia Food Poisoning Lawyer right away to ensure nothing is missed.
If your doctor hasn’t already, then you should notify your local health department. Contact information for your local health department by state can be found here. Your illness should be reported within one week of it developing and the form to fill out is available in paper form by calling your local health department. If none of these options are feasible or in case of an emergency, you may report your food poisoning illness directly to the state office.
Typical defendants in a Giardia lawsuit can include a restaurant (if the contaminated food was consumed there), a supermarket (if the tainted item was bought there), or the host of the gathering where the infected food was provided, as well as the manufacturer of the tainted food. If the contaminated food was sold to you, then it would be considered a defective product, and the defendant would be pursued under the strict-liability defective product theory. A common law negligence claim would be used against the defendants that did not sell the food to you (manufacturer).
After seeing a doctor and getting confirmation that you have contracted giardiasis, often that is enough in and of itself to have a claim. Under the law, food is a product, so contaminated food would be considered a defective product. There are food safety laws in place that require the food processor or manufacturer, as well as the restaurant or retailer to exercise reasonable care when handling food that’s for sale.
If these food safety laws were not appropriately followed, it is considered negligence. Their negligence significantly increases the likelihood of you having a case, allowing you the right to hold them liable by filing a defective product liability claim against them. The strength of your case will also depend on how sick you were. If you were hospitalized or suffered any permanent damage, then you would have a very strong claim. Contact a Giardia Lawyer today to explore your legal options during a free, no obligation consultation.
Giardia Lawyers often accept cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you do not have to pay an upfront lump sum for their representation. Your attorney will cover the costs associated with preparing, filing, and prosecuting your claim and will only get paid if you do. Their legal fees are dependent on how much you are awarded in a settlement or award. If you do not recover compensation, you will not owe your attorney anything besides court costs. This is an ideal scenario for both Giardia Lawyers and their clients. There is no risk to you, you don’t have to worry about paying legal bills while the case is ongoing, and your attorney can be more focused on winning than keeping track and billing the correct number of hours.
You have the right to sue a business, whether it be a food distributor, grocery store, or restaurant, if they are the cause of your Giardia poisoning. Under the legal theories of negligence, strict products liability, and breach of warranty you may be within your rights to seek compensation.
A company in the business of selling food has a duty to exercise reasonable care. A restaurant or manufacturer has a duty to produce and/or serve safe products (food) for the consumers in order to avoid potential harm. For example, if a restaurant is in breach of that duty by way of unsafe food practices, in the manner of storing food in unsanitary conditions or failing to keep the kitchen clean thus causing you injury, then there may be enough elements present for a negligence claim.
What can be difficult in these cases is that it must be proved that the unsafe food you were served or bought was the direct cause of your Giardia infection. This can be especially difficult to prove if you had eaten any other food that same day. Seeking medical care immediately after becoming ill can help with identifying the source. The degree of your Giardia infection may also determine whether or not a negligence claim is worth pursuing.
Under this theory, a business can be liable for selling contaminated food. In this type of case, it must be proven that the food served or purchased was both infected and unreasonably dangerous as well as the cause of illness. The way this theory differs from negligence is mainly that there is no requirement to show a lack of reasonable care. The companies that can be held liable may include all involved in the chain of distribution such as the manufacturer, wholesaler, distributor, and retailer.
There are implied warranties that a product sold will meet the consumer’s expectations. In a contaminated food case, the infected buyer can claim that the product did not meet their ordinary expectation of safe food. An implied warranty can apply to all involved throughout the chain of distribution as well.
Have you or a loved one suffered from Giardia food poisoning after falling prey to unsafe food practices? If so, our experienced Giardia Lawyer at The Lange Law Firm, PLLC is eager to help. Speak to a Giardia Lawyer today and receive a free case evaluation to see you have a Giardia food poisoning lawsuit.