DeFusco’s Lawsuit
Our attorneys continue to investigate the Rhode Island Salmonella outbreak linked to DeFusco’s bakery. 79 people were sickened in the outbreak, many from the Providence, RI area. Thirty people were hospitalized, and two people died.
Free consultation with Salmonella attorney about a Defusco’s lawsuit >>
The legal claims in every Salmonella poisoning lawsuit are based on the following theories of recovery:
- Strict liability – Products sold are not supposed to cause harm, including Salmonella poisoning. People in this outbreak experienced abdominal cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, severe dehydration, and serious complications that led to weeks of hospitalization.
- Negligence – Sellers of food at every level are supposed to use reasonable care to ensure the safety of the food. In this case, a Rhode Island health inspector found many food-safety violations at the DeFusco’s Bakery in Johnston, RI. The violations included storing empty, baked pastry shells in cardboard boxes that formerly held trays of raw eggs. Tests later found evidence of the outbreak strain of Salmonella in the boxes..
- Breach of warranty – Sellers of food warrant that it is fit to eat. Food contaminated with Salmonella is not fit to eat.
Complications of a salmonellosis include the following:
- Dehydration
- Bacteremia – life threatening infection of the blood that can infect the brain (meningitis), heart (endocarditis), bones (osteomyelitis), and other parts of the body
- Reactive arthritis (Reiter’s syndrome) – eye irritation, painful urination, painful joints and other sources of pain
- Death – Salmonella wrongful death lawsuit.
Compensation for Defusco’s Salmonella victims may include the following:
- Hospital bills and other medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disability
- Loss of quality of life
- Other damages
Because the complications of Salmonella can be severe, victims should seek money for future (expected) medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and other damages.
