Pritzker Hageman lawyers have been retained for a Salmonella lawsuit against Walmart. A 73-year-old woman from Ohio allegedly contracted salmonellosis in May 2018 after eating precut melons purchased from a Walmart store in Findlay, Ohio. Melons and salads containing melons produced by Caito Foods have been recalled in Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio. Outbreak patients live in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri.
Their client needed surgery after she developed an abdominal aortic aneurism. She was hospitalized for days and is recovering in a nursing home. The Salmonella lawsuit will be filed today or tomorrow.
She is allegedly part of a multistate Salmonella Adelaide outbreak that is associated with those products that were recalled on June 9, 2018. The fruit that is part of the recall includes cantaloupe, honeydew melon, watermelon, and fruit salads that contain those products.
Attorney Fred Pritzker can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
Attorney Fred Pritzker, President of Pritzker Hageman, said, “Many outbreaks in the past few years have been linked to contaminated produce, more specifically, melons. People can become seriously ill and even die after contracting Salmonella infections and other types of infections from pathogens on produce.”
Fred, who is a food safety expert, said, “We have had hundreds of clients sickened in this way and have filed and won many Salmonella lawsuits over the years. Our clients have had to undergo surgeries and have spent time in intensive care units. Many have been hospitalized for days and weeks. They have suffered a great deal of pain and their families have been put under great strain. One of our clients, a child, needed brain surgery after salmonellosis. We believe these outbreaks can be prevented if growers, producers, and processors follow basic sanitation practices.”
The recalled melon products have also been sold at Costco, Jay C, Kroger, Payless, Owen’s, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Walgreens, Walmart, and Whole Foods/Amazon stores. In this outbreak, 66% of patients have been hospitalized.
Fred added, “That is a very high hospitalization rate for a Salmonella outbreak. Typically, about 22% of patients need to be hospitalized after they contract this infection. We don’t yet know the rate is so high. It’s possible that the fruit is contaminated with a large number of bacteria. Or this strain of Salmonella, Adelaide, could be especially virulent. People who need hospitalization usually develop sepsis, a blood infection, or become dehydrated. Others, like our client, need surgery because of serious complications such as meningitis, endocarditis, or osteomyelitis.”
And after a patient recovers, they may suffer from long term health consequences. “Some of our patients have developed Reiter’s syndrome, which can lead to reactive arthritis and eye problems,” Fred said. “Others developed high blood pressure or irritable bowel syndrome. And research has shown that Salmonella could damage DNA.”
If you or someone you know has eaten precut fruit purchased from the above retail outlets and has been experiencing illness, especially vomiting and diarrhea, see your doctor. This illness should be recorded on your medical chart in case complications arise in the future.
