Wonderful Pistachios, a California company that sells pistachio nuts all over the country, has been hit by a class action suit due to a salmonella outbreak that was allegedly caused by the company’s pistachio nuts. The plaintiff, Alejandro Reyes, also names retailer Sam’s Club as a defendant in the civil suit. Reyes filed the suit in Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago, charging that the defendants were negligent in selling contaminated food products and that they failed in their duty to warn buyers that the raw pistachio nuts could be tainted. If you ever have a situation like this happen to you, please call a food poisoning attorney in San Diego for help today.
The Details of the Injury Lawsuit
According to the suit, Reyes purchased a bag of Wonderful Pistachios at Sam’s Club in Chicago in 2015. Reyes stated that after consuming some of the pistachio nuts, he fell ill. His symptoms included diarrhea and abdominal pain, though at the time he didn’t realize that these were symptoms of salmonella infection.
He got better, and he again ate some of the pistachios because it he didn’t think it was the cause of his illness. He again suffered from the same symptoms as before. Eventually in early 2016, the CDC and the FDA traced a salmonella outbreak to the tainted pistachios sold by Wonderful Pistachios. It was then that Reyes realized that he was also among the victims of the outbreak.
The plaintiff asked the court to expand the lawsuit he filed into a class action lawsuit that can possible include other potential plaintiffs in the Illinois area who may have also bought the pistachios and fell ill afterwards.
What’s the Deal with Salmonella?
Every year in the US, salmonella accounts for 1.4 million cases of food poisoning. Some of the victims require hospitalization and it can even be fatal. About 450 people die of salmonella each year in the US.
The symptoms of salmonella include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and sometime a fever. These can occur about 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated food products. Some of the people who get the infection are especially at risk, including infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. In some cases, when antibiotics aren’t taken quickly the patient can even die.
What Should You Do if Injured?
If you suddenly experience the symptoms of salmonella after eating a food product, you should isolate the food product if possible so that no one else in the household can eat it too. Some tests may also be performed on it to confirm the presence of salmonella contamination.
It’s important that you seek medical attention right away. It’s also crucial that you consult with food poisoning lawyers who have the experience and knowhow in dealing with this type of case.
With the help of our food poisoning attorneys, it’s possible to identify the negligent parties that can be sued for damages or for a settlement. The money you can receive can go a long way in paying for your hospital bills and the lost income that may result from your illness.