Lawsuits Have Been Filed on Behalf of Affected Michigan Children
By Jean-Paul McDonald, Farms.com
Lawyers in Michigan have filed lawsuits against retail giant Walmart and one of their fruit suppliers, Chamberlain Farms of Owensville, Indiana, over salmonella bacteria found in cantaloupe. The cantaloupe was produced by Chamberlain Farms and sold at Walmart, among other retailers, which has led to more than 170 cases of illness and at least two deaths.
The first lawsuit was filed on behalf of two children (siblings) who were diagnosed with Salmonella Typhimurium after eating cantaloupe sold at a Walmart store in Michigan. The second lawsuit also representing a child from Michigan, was filed against fruit producer Chamberlain Farms. These children became ill from Salmonella bacteria and are part of a multi-state Salmonella outbreak that has been linked to eating cantaloupe produced by Chamberlain Farms.
The Center for Disease Control has reported illnesses relating to the contamination including the following states and number of people affected: Alabama (13), Arkansas (3), California (2), Georgia (3), Illinois (21), Indiana (18), Iowa (7), Kentucky (56), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (6), Minnesota (4), Mississippi (5), Missouri (12), New Jersey (2), North Carolina (3), Ohio (4), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (3), Tennessee (6), Texas (2), and Wisconsin (4).
These lawsuits could be the first of many. “Victims of this outbreak and their families should be compensated for medical expenses, lost income, physical pain, emotional distress and other damages,” said attorney Fred Pritzker, national Salmonella lawyer and food safety advocate. “Businesses responsible for growing and selling contaminated food need to be held accountable, and these lawsuits accomplish that.”
According to Pritzker, who represents Salmonella food poisoning victims throughout the United States, these kinds of cases generally make claims under three classifications of liability: strict liability, negligence and breach of contract. “Food sold for human consumption should be always be free of dangerous pathogens like Salmonella,” said Pritzker.