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Not so many years ago, when people felt ill after eating food contaminated with bacteria they were likely to describe themselves as having a tummy bug but nowadays, thanks to greater knowledge of health matters, if they are sufficiently unwell, they are more likely to make an e coli poisoning claim against the person or organisation responsible.
But what is e coli poisoning and how does it give rise to product liability?
The e of e coli is short for escherichia and was named after the German paediatrician and bacteriologist Theodor Escherich who, in 1885, discovered this bacterium commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded creatures and is usually harmless.
It is an extremely diverse bacterium with wide variation between types but scientists can trace particular bugs if they have been responsible for an outbreak of diarrhoea and sickness and discover the source, so preventing further spread of contamination.
Food poisoning caused by e coli usually is a result of eating unwashed vegetables or undercooked meat. The illness may only be quite mild but some virulent strains can be fatal, especially in children, elderly people and those with compromised immune systems.
Because the bacterium lives in human and animal waste, there are many ways it can enter the food chain such as where crops have been irrigated with contaminated water or raw sewage or where workers handling food products have passed the e coli on to the items they have processed.
Among publicised cases, there have been problems with cucumber, raw spinach and raw bean sprouts as well as minced beef and unpasteurised milk, juice and cheese.
Simple means to prevent infection and continuing spread of illness include proper cooking of meat at a high enough temperature to kill germs, pasteurisation of dairy products and juice and for workers involved in food processing to keep to health and safety guidelines such as washing hands thoroughly and wearing protective garments.
Quite often, victims of food poisoning bring their problems on themselves by neglecting basic hygiene or not taking precautions against contamination, however, if a supplier or seller of a foodstuff has been neglectful of taking reasonable precautions to prevent the spread of e coli and similar organisms, such as salmonella, a product liability claim could be made by sufferers or their dependents in the case of fatalities.
Solicitor for e coli poisoning claim
Some variations of e coli can result in extremely serious illnesses including kidney malfunction, meningitis, septicaemia and peritonitis and deaths are not unknown. In those circumstances, compensation payments for pain, suffering and loss of earnings may well be justified.
YouClaim has a team of experienced personal injury solicitors around the UK who are able to advise on the likelihood of a claim succeeding and, if required, they can represent sufferers throughout the legal process to obtain a settlement.
Not only are our solicitors noted for their high professional standards coupled with a sympathetic manner, they can usually operate under the no win no fee system, meaning you keep every penny of compensation won without deductions.
To find out about our specialist service for anyone considering an e coli poisoning claim, you can use echat, send us brief details via the online form on this page or call freephone 0800 10 757 95
