Food Poisoning Attorney NJ

Posted on: January 25, 2017

Food poisoning, also known as food-borne illness, is caused by eating contaminated food.
Symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting can occur within hours of consuming the
product. Usually, the poisoning is mild and can take care of itself, but often people need to be
rushed to the hospital in more severe cases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 6 Americans
suffer from food poisoning each year. What many people don’t realize is they can file a food
poisoning complaint against any establishment that they believe caused the food poisoning.

Complaints can be filed against fish markets, supermarkets, warehouses, bakeries, food carts,
and restaurants. If you remember where you purchased the product that caused your
symptoms, those people can be held responsible under the law for serving the poor-quality food.

If you believe that another business or establishment was responsible for your food poisoning,
our personal injury lawyers are ready to represent you in court. Call our attorneys at Ellis Law
and we’ll use our combined legal expertise to handle your case in court.

How to Prevent Food Poisoning in Restaurants

Most cases of food poisoning are reported outside the home. Here are several things to watch out
for when you’re going out to eat.

Trash

If you just pulled into a restaurant, a surefire sign that the establishment isn’t taking care of itself
is a trash bin overflowing with trash. Some restaurants even have trash all over the ground in the
parking lot, which is a big no-no for hygiene. Health inspectors who visit restaurants will look at
details like these to judge whether a restaurant should have a good health store. Rodents,
cockroaches, and other insects or vermin crawling all over the parking lot can give you a hint
that maybe this isn’t a place where you should take your date for a nice night out.

Wait Staff

Are the waiters wearing clean aprons and uniforms? Watch to make sure that their attire isn’t
dirty, and that they’re not wiping their dirty hands on their uniforms. Make sure that the cooks
are wearing hair restraints, and that the entire wait staff has clean and manicured hands (no cuts
or bitten nails). If the staff members are neat and tidy, chances are that the food that they prepare
will also be in good condition.

Avoid Salad Bars

You thought salad was good for you? Not at the salad bar. According to the Food Poison Journal,
this is one of the main places where people get sick in a restaurant. Food in salad bars is often
kept at the wrong temperature, and since many people are touching both the food and utensils,
the bacteria can multiply rapidly.

Restrooms

As with trash in the parking a lot, a dirty restroom can be an indicator of the entire facility.
Check to see that the soap is filled, that there are plenty of paper towels and toilet paper, that the
toilets and floor are clean, and that there aren’t any offensive smells from three days ago. This
will all clue you in on how often the restaurant staff are cleaning the bathrooms for the customers
of the establishment.

Food Poisoning Attorney Near Me

We all need food to survive, so there’s no reason why sellers shouldn’t take a little responsibility
for serving us the wrong kind. Whether you’ve contracted an illness from food in a restaurant, a
supermarket, or hotdog stand, contact Ellis Law and we will make sure that the people who
are selling the faulty food are held responsible.