Greysolon Ballroom Food Poisoning Outbreak in Duluth Investigated by MN Lawyers
A food poisoning outbreak linked to eating at the Greysolon Ballroom in Duluth, MN has sickened more than 40 people, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Those sickened attended events at the ballroom on Saturday, one a wedding and the other a corporate party. About 350 people attended these events, and it is likely that far more than 40 people were sickened.
“Our Minnesota law firm represents people sickened in food poisoning outbreaks throughout the United States,” said Fred Pritzker, one of the nations leading food safety lawyers. “People sickened in an outbreak have the right to seek medical expenses, lost wages and other damages from those legally responsible for the illnesses.”
Health investigators are interviewing people sickened in the outbreak, all of whom ate at the Greysolon Ballroom. This is epidemiological evidence that food served at the ballroom was the source of the outbreak. The food was served by Greysolon Ballroom by Blackwoods, owned by New London Corp.
Tips for a Safe Halloween
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has published a quick and easy Halloween safety check (this is a cute pdf) that will help consumers to avoid the problems that can happen on the trick-or-treat trail: (1) fires and burns, (2) accidents with motor vehicles, and (3) injuries from costumes.
Safety tips from the CPSC to help make this year’s holiday safe:
Decorations
- Never leave a burning candle unattended. Battery-operated flameless candles and other flameless lighting are safe alternatives to traditional candles in many situations.
- Keep candles and jack o’ lanterns away from landings and doorsteps, where costumes could brush against the flame.
- Remove obstacles from lawns, steps, and porches when expecting trick-or-treaters.
- When indoors, keep candles and jack o’ lanterns away from curtains, decorations, and other items that could ignite. Do not leave burning candles unattended.
- Whether indoors or outside, use only decorative light strands that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory. Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard damaged sets.
- Don’t overload extension cords.
Costumes
- When purchasing costumes, masks, beards, and wigs, look for flame-resistant fabrics, such as nylon or polyester; or look for the label “Flame Resistant.” Flame-resistant fabrics will resist burning and should extinguish quickly. To reduce the risk of contact with candles and other fire sources, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves, large capes, or billowing skirts.
- Purchase or make costumes that are light colored, bright, and clearly visible to motorists.
- For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights. Bags or sacks also should be light-colored or decorated with reflective tape. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle, and sporting goods stores.
- Children should carry flashlights to be able to see and to be seen.
- To guard against trips and falls, costumes should fit well and not drag on the ground.
- Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes. High heels are not a good idea.
- Tie hats and scarves securely to prevent them from slipping over children’s eyes and obstructing their vision.
- If your child wears a mask, make sure it fits securely, provides adequate ventilation, and has holes for eyes large enough to allow full vision.
- Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be made of soft, flexible material.
Treats
- Children should not eat any treats before an adult has examined them carefully for evidence of tampering.
- Carefully examine any toys or novelty items received by trick-or-treaters who are younger than 3 years of age. Do not allow young children to have any items that are small enough to present a choking hazard or that have small parts or components that could separate during use and present a choking hazard.
Larry Schultz Organic Eggs Contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis Sicken 6 in Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) are investigating Salmonella illnesses in at least six people in Minnesota that are connected with a recall of organic shell eggs due to contamination with Salmonella Enteritidis. The contamined eggs were traced back by the MDA to Larry Schultz Organic Farm of Owatonna, where environmental testing confirmed the presence of Salmonella Enteritidis. Prompted by this Minnesota Salmonella outbreak, Larry Schultz Organic Farm has issued a voluntary recall of the products.
Routine reportable disease monitoring by state health officials identified six cases of Salmonella Enteritidis infection with the same DNA fingerprint. The individuals became ill between August 12 and September 24. The illnesses occurred in both children and adults, and all are residents of the seven-county metropolitan area. Three of the cases were hospitalized but have since recovered. Five of the six cases have reported eating eggs from the Larry Schultz Organic Farm purchased at grocery stores or co-ops. The Larry Schultz recalled eggs may have been delivered to the following grocery stores and co-ops in Minnesota:
Kowalski’s Markets at all locations
Grass Roots Coop, Anoka
Valley Natural Foods, Burnsville
Lakewoods Natural Foods Chanhassen
Whole Foods Co-op Duluth
Cook County Coop, Grand Marais
Harvest Moon Coop, Long Lake
Bryn Mawr Market, Minneapolis
Eastside Food Co-op, Mpls
Grass Roots, Mpls
Linden Hills Food Co-op, Mpls
Seward Food Co-op, Mpls
The Wedge, Mpls
Whole Foods Minneapolis
Lakewinds Natural Foods, Minnetonka
Whole Foods Minnetonka
Sydney’s Health Market, Moorhead
Bread N’ Honey Pantry, Mora
Just Foods, Northfield
Fresh and Natural, Plymouth
Mazopiya Natural Foods, Prior Lake
Good Food Store Co-op, Rochester
Fresh & Natural Shoreview
Hampden Park Foods, St. Paul
Mississippi Market, Selby Ave., St. Paul
Mississippi Market, Randolph Ave., St. Paul
Whole Foods St. Paul
St. Peter Food Coop, St. Peter
River Market, Stillwater
Bluff County Co-op, Winona
Eggs affected by this recall were also distributed to restaurants and foodservice companies in Minnesota. If you contracted a Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) after eating eggs at any location in Minnesota or Wisconsin, our attorneys are available for a free consultation.
Eggs from Larry Schultz Organic Farm are packaged under the following brand names: Lunds & Byerlys Organic, Kowalski’s Organic, and Larry Schultz Organic Farm. Eggs are packed in bulk and varying sizes of cartons (6-egg cartons, dozen egg cartons, 18-egg cartons). Cartons bearing Plant Number 0630 or a “Sell by” date are not included in this recall.
Eggs included in the recall include the following:
- Larry Schultz Organic Farm, extra large, large, jumbo, medium and bulk organic eggs with a Jullian date “286 EXP NOV 12″ or “286 NOV12.” (If the carton has a plant number or any addtional numbers or letters it is not part of the recall and if the carton has a “Sell by” date it is NOT recalled.)
- Lunds & Byerly’s large and extra large organic eggs with a Jullian date “286 EXP NOV 12″ or “286 NOV12.”
- Kowalski’s Organic Egg with a Jullian date “286 EXP NOV 12″ or “286 NOV12.”
Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in very young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people infected with Salmonella often experience diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain. Victims of Salmonella outbreaks have hospital bills and victims and their families have to take time off of work. Justice requires compensation. Our Minnesota Salmonella lawyers are one of the few law firms in the nation who practice extensively in the area of food safety litigation. They have successfully won money for Salmonella victims sickened by eggs. Contact our Salmonella lawyers for a free consultation regarding a lawsuit against Larry Schultz Organic Farm and others.
Who can file an accident wrongful death lawsuit in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, a trustee appointed by the court has to file a wrongful death lawsuit, which is a lawsuit against a person or corporation for a wrongful act or omission that leads to someone’s death. The trustee is appointed to the court upon written petition by the surviving spouse or one of the next of kin. Family members who may seek the appointment of a wrongful death trustee include the following:
- surviving husband or wife
- children
- parents
- grandparents
- siblings
- nieces
- nephews
- aunts
- uncles
- cousins
The trustee acts on behalf of the family, and any money won in a settlement or by verdict is “for the exclusive benefit of the surviving spouse and next of kin, proportionate to the pecuniary loss severally suffered by the death.”
The wrongful death trustee is not the family’s attorney. If the family wants legal representation, they have to hire a Minnesota wrongful death attorney, who will gather and analyze evidence, negotiate for a settlement and prepare for trial.
Contact our attorneys for a free consultation. There is a time limitation for filing accident wrongful death lawsuits called the “statute of limitations,” so time is of the essence.
Our accident wrongful death lawyers represent families throughout Minnesota, including Twin Cities, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Moorhead, Mankato, Brainerd, Bloomington, Eagan, Eden Prarie, Apple Valley, Maple Grove, Edina, Plymouth, Minnetonka, Stillwater, Thief River Falls, Bemidji, Grand Rapids, Austin, Worthington, Woodbury, Maplewood, Golden Valley, Shoreview, Blaine, Anoka, South St. Paul, White Bear Lake, Roseville, St. Cloud, Arden Hills, Brooklyn Park, Forest Lake.
Fatal Accident in Construction Zone on 35W
A tragic accident on 35W in Burnsville is a reminder that drivers need to use extra caution in construction zones.
Today, two Egan Co. employees were hit while working in a construction zone. One died at the scene and the other at the hospital. The names have been released by the Minnesota State Patrol, but out of respect for the families, we are not reporting them here. Our thoughts are with the families.
According to information just released from the Minnesota State Patrol, a Mitsubishi 3000GT driven by Kirk Deamos, 21, of Raymore, Missouri, was traveling northbound on 35W in the left lane when the driver lost control and struck the two construction workers. The updated State Patrol report states:
VEH 1 [the Mitsubishi driven by Deamos] NB 35W IN LEFT LANE, SLOWING FOR UPCOMING CONSTRUCTION. DRIVER FELT HE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE CONSTRUCTION WALL, BRAKED AND STEERED RT. VEH TURNED RT HARDER THAN DRIVER THOUGHT IT WOULD. HE THEN TURNED LEFT TO COMPENSATE, THEN RT AGAIN. VEH THEN SPUN OUT IN THE RIGHT DITCH, STRIKING 2 CONTRACTED CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.
This is preliminary information. Some of the questions that need to be answered include the following:
- Did a defective car part contribute to the accident?
- Was alcohol a factor?
- Was there a problem with safety measures taken at the construction area?
Contact our attorneys for information regarding accident investigations and finding all liable parties.
Drinking and Driving Causes 11,000 Wrongful Death Accidents Every Year
Adults drank too much and got behind the wheel about 112 million times in 2010—that is almost 300,000 incidents of drinking and driving each day—according to a CDC Vital Signs study released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The four million adults who drink and drive each year put everyone on the road at risk,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “In fact, nearly 11,000 people are killed every year in crashes that involve an alcohol–impaired driver.”
“When drunk drivers make a mistakes on the road, they tend to be major mistakes like crossing into oncoming traffic, rolling their car or striking an object,” said Attorney Fred Pritzker. “The results are often catastrophic.”
The study also found that:
- Men were responsible for 81 percent of drinking and driving in 2010.
- Young men, ages 21–34, made up only 11 percent of the U.S. population in 2010, yet were responsible for 32 percent of all episodes of drinking and driving.
- Eighty–five percent of drinking and driving episodes were reported by people who also reported binge drinking. Binge drinking means five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women during a short period of time.
Imaging of Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: Whole-Body Simultaneous PET and MRI
Researchers have a new weapon in their arsenal to diagnose and treat traumatic brain injury (TBI). The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center began imaging patients last week on a first-of-its-kind, whole-body simultaneous positron emission topography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device. The Biograph mMR offers a more complete picture of abnormal metabolic activity in a shorter time frame than separate MRI and PET scans, two tests many patients undergo.
“This scanner combines the two most powerful imaging tools,” said David Bluemke, M.D., Ph.D., director of NIH Clinical Center Radiology and Imaging Sciences. “The MRI points us to abnormalities in the body, and the PET tells us the metabolic activity of that abnormality, be it a damaged part of the brain or a tumor. This will be a major change for many patients.”
The new device makes patient care swifter and safer. The faster turnaround time and more comprehensive results will help diagnose patients at an earlier stage of disease, leading to better outcomes, Bluemke said. Additionally, traditional PET scanners combine computed tomography imaging, which uses radiation, while the MRI and PET technology of the new Biograph mMR does not. The risk of exposure to low doses of medical radiation from diagnostic medical-imaging tests is not known, but very high radiation doses have the potential to cause cancer.
We are optimistic that this new technology will become readily available for TBI victims. PritzkerOlsen law firm has won millions for TBI victims, including a recent settlement for $2,750,000. Contact our attorneys for a free consultation.
