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Posted by: OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers

Fresh fruits and vegetables are cornerstones of a healthy diet, but they can sometimes become contaminated with harmful bacteria like Salmonella. When contaminated produce leads to a serious Salmonella illness, the consequences can be severe. At OFT Law, our Salmonella lawyers are dedicated to helping victims understand how this contamination occurs and how to pursue justice when it leads to illness.

The Journey of Salmonella to Your Produce

Salmonella is a bacterium that can be found in the intestinal tracts of animals, including birds, reptiles, and mammals. It can also be present in their feces. Produce can become contaminated with Salmonella at various points along the farm-to-fork chain:

  • Farming Practices:
    • Contaminated Water: Produce irrigated with or washed in water contaminated with animal feces can become contaminated. This includes water from ponds, rivers, or wells.
    • Contaminated Soil: If soil is fertilized with untreated manure or comes into contact with contaminated animal waste, Salmonella can transfer to the growing produce.
    • Animal Intrusion: Wild animals, livestock, or even domestic animals carrying Salmonella can enter fields and directly contaminate crops through their feces.
    • Farmworker Hygiene: Poor hygiene practices among farmworkers, such as not washing hands after using the restroom, can lead to the transfer of Salmonella to produce during harvesting or handling.
  • Processing and Packaging:
    • Cross-Contamination: In processing facilities, Salmonella can spread from contaminated produce to uncontaminated produce, or from equipment, surfaces, or hands that have come into contact with the bacteria.
    • Contaminated Equipment: Slicing, dicing, or packaging equipment that isn’t properly cleaned and sanitized can harbor Salmonella and transfer it to large batches of produce.
    • Contaminated Water for Washing/Cooling: If water used for washing, cooling, or hydro-cooling produce in processing facilities is contaminated, it can spread Salmonella to the produce.
  • Transportation and Retail:
    • Unsanitary Transport Vehicles: Trucks or containers that are not properly cleaned after transporting animals or other contaminated goods can transfer Salmonella to produce.
    • Improper Storage Temperatures: While Salmonella primarily contaminates produce through direct contact, improper temperatures during transport or in retail settings can allow any existing bacteria to multiply, increasing the risk of illness.
    • Cross-Contamination in Stores: In grocery stores, Salmonella can transfer from raw meat or poultry to produce if they are not stored or handled separately.

How an OFT Salmonella Lawyer Can Help When Produce Causes Illness

When a serious Salmonella illness is linked to contaminated produce, holding the responsible parties accountable can be a complex undertaking. That’s where an experienced Salmonella lawyer from OFT Law comes in.

  1. Expert Investigation and Tracing the Source:
    • Our legal team works diligently to connect your illness to the specific produce item and, crucially, to trace that produce back to its point of contamination. This often involves collaborating with food safety experts, epidemiologists, and investigators.
    • We analyze outbreak data, health department reports, and supply chain records to pinpoint where the Salmonella contamination likely occurred—whether it was on the farm, during processing, or in distribution.
  2. Identifying All Responsible Parties:
    • The journey of produce is long, and multiple entities can be responsible for contamination. This might include the farm that grew the produce, the packing facility, the distributor, or even the retailer or restaurant.
    • Our lawyers identify all potentially liable parties and build a comprehensive case against them, ensuring that no stone is left unturned in seeking justice.
  3. Understanding the Severity of Your Illness:
    • We understand the profound impact a severe Salmonella infection can have on your health, finances, and quality of life. This includes prolonged hospitalization, ongoing medical needs, lost wages, and the emotional toll of the illness.
    • We work with medical experts to fully document the extent of your injuries and the long-term effects.
  4. Maximizing Your Compensation:
    • Our goal is to secure full and fair compensation for all your damages. This can include:
      • Medical expenses (past and future).
      • Lost income and diminished earning capacity.
      • Pain and suffering.
      • Emotional distress.
      • Other related losses.
    • We are skilled negotiators who will fight aggressively on your behalf, whether through settlement discussions or in court.
  5. Operating on a Contingency Fee:
    • At OFT Law, we believe everyone deserves access to justice. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we successfully recover compensation for you.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious Salmonella illness suspected to be from contaminated produce, don’t face the complex legal battle alone. Contact OFT Law today for a free and confidential consultation. We are here to help you understand your rights and guide you through the process of holding negligent parties accountable.

About OFT Law:

OFT Law is a dedicated law firm specializing in foodborne illness litigation. With a deep commitment to food safety and a proven track record, we represent victims across the nation, fighting for the justice and compensation they deserve from negligent food producers and suppliers.

Notable Recoveries

$10 million

Seven infants were sickened after consuming a contaminated food product marketed to infants

$6.5 million

Verdict on behalf of a little boy who contracted a severe Salmonella infection from chicken

$7.55 million

Verdict on behalf of a little girl who contracted E. coli at a petting zoo

$2.25 million

E. coli infections contracted from a major fast food chain

$45 million

An over-the-counter medication caused severe kidney damage to multiple users

$3.4 million

A pregnant woman contracted a Listeria infection from contaminated fruit and passed the infection to her child

$3 million

Multistate Cyclospora outbreaks

$275,000

A couple contracted Salmonella from a restaurant

$525,000

A pedestrian was struck by a left-turning car, fracturing her tibia

$700,000

A semi-truck rear-ended a motorcyclist causing a collapsed lung, rib fractures and road rash