Campylobacter Lawsuit Filed in Raw Milk Case that Resulted in Paralysis
Pritzker Olsen law firm has filed a lawsuit through its local counsel in Pittsburgh on behalf of James and Maureen Orchard, a couple sickened last month by Campylobacter from raw milk produced by Pasture Maid Creamery LLC of New Castle, Pennsylvania.
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The Pasture Maid Creamery lawsuit was filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheney County. It alleges that 67-year-old James Orchard became paralyzed from a Campylobacter infection he suffered from unpasteurized Pasture Maid milk that health investigators later found to be contaminated.
According to the complaint, Mr. Orchard and his wife purchased the milk March 16 from McGinnis Sisters Special Foods store in Mars, Pennsylvania, where they live. The retailer is named in the suit along with the creamery and its owner, Adam Dean.
While Mrs. Orchard became seriously sick and sore, her husband began to experience a loss of sensation and movement. He developed Guillain-Barre syndrome and became totally paralyzed except for minimal movement of his head and the ability to blink his eyes. He was placed on ventilation equipment and is still unable to breathe on his own in a Pittsburgh area hospital. Mr. Orchard requires around the clock intensive care.
Fred Pritzker, the Orchards’ attorney said, says the case tragically illustrates how unsafe raw milk is.
“Raw milk is a dangerous product that should not be sold to the public. Virtually every health department, federal, state and local, recommends against its use,'' Pritzker said. "It is particularly dangerous for young children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly.''
According to the complaint, the Pennsylvania Department of Health found Campylobacter bacteria in raw milk samples from Pasture Maid. On March 25, 2010, the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Agriculture advised consumers to discard Pasture Maid brand raw milk and recommended that Pasture Maid Creamery stop selling the product.
On April 5, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture suspended Pasture Maid’s permit to sell raw milk for human consumption. Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized -- a flash heating process that destroys pathogens like Campylobacter and E. coli O157:H7 with high temperature.
Pritzker Olsen law firm, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, represents individuals and families nationwide in cases involving foodborne illness. The firm is involved in virtually every major foodborne illness outbreak and has obtained some of the largest verdicts and settlements in foodborne illness cases. Attorney Fred Pritzker can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page.
