Our Minnesota E. coli lawyers represent E. coli poisoning victims nationwide who have been sickened after eating any of the following:
- Undercooked or raw hamburgers
- Other beef products
- Leafy greens such as spinach and lettuce
- Sprouts
- Unpasteurized milk, apple juice, and apple cider
- Contaminated well water
- Contaminated manufactured foods, such as refrigerated cookie dough, pizza, pot pies, candy, etc.
We also represent E. coli victims sickened at petting zoos, daycare centers, preschools, and other venues. Also, we represent people sickened by E. coli at restaurants in situations where the specific food source has not been found.
E. coli Lawsuit: Liability
When we represent an E. coli victim, we immediately investigate to determine who can be sued. These parties are called the defendants, and in an E. coli lawsuit, they may include any of the following:
- Grower
- Processor
- Packager
- Distributor
- Retailer
- Restaurant
- School
- Petting Zoo
- Daycare
- Preschool
The theories of liability can include any of the following:
- Strict Liability. With strict liability, the defendants are liable to the E. coli victim if the product was adulterated and that adulterated product caused the E. coli infection. Negligence is not an issue.
- Negligence. There are four elements of a negligence claim: 1) The defendant owed a duty to the E. coli victim (for example, a restaurant owes a duty to its patrons to serve safe food); 2) That duty was breached when the defendant failed to use reasonable care; 3) The breach caused the E. coli infection; 4) The illness caused injury that can be compensated (this element is easy to prove in an E. coli case).
- Punitive Damages. When the defendant acted with conscious disregard for the safety of others, there is a claim for punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendant and deter similar behavior. In one of our cases, a company sold food they knew was contaminated. That is conscious disregard for the safety of others.
E. coli Lawsuit: Compensation for Victims
Compensation for an E. coli victim depends on the facts of each case. Settlements and verdicts in E. coli cases can be several million dollars for E. coli victims who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children. In addition to kidney failure, E. coli HUS can cause multi-organ failure, seizures, coma, brain damage, heart problems and death.
Compensation can include amounts for the following:
- Medical expenses
- Cost of care
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disability
- Loss of quality of life
Future losses and future pain and suffering are always part of the compensation package.
Free Consultation with a Minnesota E. coli Lawyer
For a free consultation with a Minnesota E. coli lawyer at Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, please call 612-338-0202, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), email Attorney Fred Pritzker or submit our online consultation form.
For more information, please see the following: E. coli lettuce lawsuit and E. coli spinach lawsuit, E. coli hamburger lawsuit, Daycare E. coli and Preschool E. coli, Fair and Petting Zoo E. coli, Minnesota food poisoning lawyer, E. coli HUS.
