Erie, Pennsylvania Food Poisoning Attorneys

If You Contracted a Serious Foodborne Illness After Eating in an Erie, Pennsylvania Restaurant, The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Secure the Compensation You Need to Recover from Your Injuries.

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Food poisoning is anything but uncommon. Each year, an estimated 48 million Americans suffer from foodborne illness. In many cases, food poisoning causes significant discomfort, with symptoms ranging from stomach pain to nausea and fever. For most people, food poisoning requires little care beyond over-the-counter medications and bed rest. However, aggressive infections can progress quickly and unexpectedly. Even with the right treatment, food poisoning can have serious long-term effects, including kidney failure, chronic arthritis, and death. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has found that acute foodborne illnesses and related chronic diseases cost the economy up to $17.6 billion annually.

Many food poisoning victims have options beyond incurring seemingly insurmountable medical debt. Pennsylvania law requires that restaurants, vendors, and other food service providers take reasonable precautions to ensure that their products are safe for consumption. When food service providers abrogate their legal duty of care, they could be found negligent and liable for the costs of any resulting foodborne illnesses.

Since 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has aggressively advocated for the rights of food poisoning victims. If you, or a loved one, have been diagnosed with a foodborne illness after eating out at an Erie-area restaurant, you could be entitled to significant compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Please send us a message online or call us at 814-839-3939 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Food Poisoning In Pennsylvania

Advances in medicine, health care, and food safety practices have made food poisoning easier than ever to detect, diagnose, and treat. However, foodborne illness remains a serious concern across the United States. Each year, 1 out of every 6 Americans will fall ill after eating contaminated food products. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food poisoning is responsible for the following each year:

1. An estimated 47.8 million illnesses;
2. Approximately 128,000 hospitalizations; and
3. About 3,000 preventable deaths.

Government researchers believe that five foodborne pathogens are responsible for a disproportionate share of hospitalizations and deaths. These pathogens include:

1. Salmonella, nontyphoidal;
2. Norovirus;
3. Campylobacter;
4. Toxoplasma gondii; and
5. Coli (STEC) O157.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is responsible for investigating reportable foodborne illnesses across the Keystone State. While the agency routinely handles investigations into suspected Campylobacter, E. coli, and Salmonella outbreaks, the vast majority of suspected food poisoning cases are attributable to what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention term "unspecified agents."

Determining the source and exact cause of foodborne illness can be challenging. Food poisoning is often attributable to bacterial contamination. When restaurants and food service providers fail to follow industry safety practices, they place their employees and the general public at risk of acute illness and long-term disability. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. believes that no Pennsylvanian should have to pay the price for a restaurant's poor safety precautions. Since our founding in 2005, we have helped our clients secure more than $175 million in damages—money that food poisoning victims have used to clear their medical expenses and begin the difficult task of reclaiming their independence. Please call us at 814-839-3939 to speak to a legal professional and discuss your options for rapid legal relief.

A Legal Duty To Protect Customers From Preventable Foodborne Illnesses

Pennsylvania, food service providers owe their customers a duty of care. In other words, restaurants have a legal obligation to forestall potentially dangerous conditions and to anticipate and prevent situations in which their consumers could be exposed to reasonably foreseeable harm. Under Pennsylvania state law, restaurants or other food service providers are expected to take common-sense safety precautions, which may include the following

1. Ensuring that their employees are properly trained in food handling procedures;
2. Cooking, storing, and serving food at safe temperatures;
3. Disposing of produce that is expired or appears contaminated;
4. Responding to customer complaints; and
5. Complying with state health inspection

When restaurants abrogate their legal duty of care, they could be liable for any resulting damages. However, food service providers and their insurance companies may be reluctant to negotiate a fair settlement. Even if you have a seemingly open-and-close case, the insurance company may try to preserve its profit margins by claiming that you cannot prove the restaurant served the food that made you sick.

Four Common Elements Of Food Poisoning Claims

Food poisoning claims must typically provide evidence of the following:

1. The defendant served you contaminated food;
2. The contaminated food caused your illness;
3. The defendant's negligence caused or contributed to your illness; and
4. You suffered injuries that could be compensated by a Pennsylvania court.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you overcome the restaurant and insurance company's defense strategies by investigating the causes and circumstances of your foodborne illness injury. We could:

1. Analyze your medical records, left-over food, and other evidence to determine whether your illness was most likely caused by the consumption of contaminated food;
2. Investigate the food service provider's health inspection records and history of consumer complaints;
3. Interview other customers who fell ill after eating at the same establishment;
4. Speak to expert witnesses, including food industry specialists and public health researchers; and
5. Aggressively advocate your best interests, even if the insurance company is reluctant to negotiate.

When the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. accepts a case, we do everything in our power to ensure that our clients receive the compensation they need and the justice they deserve. While we try to resolve food poisoning lawsuits quickly and efficiently, we never give in to insurance companies' pressure tactics. If the restaurant and its insurance carrier are unwilling to negotiate in good faith, we could take them to court. Please send us a message online or call us today at 814-839-3939 to schedule your 100% free consultation.

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Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 814-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Erie, Pennsylvania. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!

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