Tennessee E. coli Outbreak: Finding the Source
Lawyer Fred Pritzker continues to monitor the E. coli outbreak in Tennessee. Seven people who tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 ate at the same Hixson, Tennessee, restaurant. Three of the E. coli O157:H7 victims were siblings. One of the siblings, four-year-old Lexie King, was close to death.
To prevent tragedies like this from happening again, it is crucial to trace the outbreak-causing E. coli O157:H7 to its source. Knowing the source is important for several reasons. First, it helps food regulators to quickly resolve the problem that caused the outbreak in the first place. Second, it allows food scientists and sanitarians to understand how food safety problems occur and correct and regulate them. Third, it helps consumers make educated choices about what they eat and where it comes from. Fourth, it helps people injured by unsafe food products to hold accountable those who cause them harm.
It is important that some association was made between the victims of the Tennessee E. coli outbreak and a Hixson restaurant. Ideally, health officials will pinpoint the specific food item. If the source of the E. coli was contaminated beef, which it most often is, the slaughter house, distributors and others involved in the sale and transport of the beef should be investigated.
Attorney Fred Pritzker is founder and president of Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A., one of the few law firms in the United States that practices extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. For more information, contact Fred Pritzker toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or by e-mail at fhp@pritzkerlaw.com.
