Class Action Food Poisoning Lawsuits

Outbreaks of food poisoning often affect tens, hundreds or even thousands of people. When this happens, a class action lawsuit can be filed against those at fault. This may be a restaurant, manufacturer or food processing plant.

What is a class action lawsuit?

A class action lawsuit is when a group of people pursue a claim against a Defendant for damages. These damages might arise due to personal injury, product liability or privacy breaches, amongst others things.

Those pursuing the lawsuit will all have suffered similar injuries as a result of the Defendant’s actions. But rather than every single person making an individual claim – which may result in small compensation awards – they join forces.

The group is represented by a leading Plaintiff. Each person receives a share of the compensation settlement. This won’t necessarily be an equal share. Rather, it depends on the severity of their symptoms and the extent of their financial losses.

Class action lawsuits for food poisoning

Food poisoning outbreaks typically affect multiple parties. If one person has fallen ill after eating a particular product or dining at a certain restaurant, then chances are that other people have also been affected. If so, the injured parties could have grounds for a class action lawsuit.

There have been a number of high-profile food poisoning class action lawsuits in Canada. A lawsuit made against Maple Leaf Foods resulted in a $27 million settlement after a listeria outbreak was linked to 20 deaths across the country and affected thousands more. XL Foods, a meat packaging company, settled a class action lawsuit for $4 million after an E. coli outbreak led to 18 cases of food poisoning. A huge beef recall followed.

As these cases show, outbreaks of foodborne illnesses can be widespread. If any vulnerable people are exposed to the disease, it can be deadly.

Can you make a class action lawsuit?

If you have been affected by an outbreak of food poisoning, or your loved one has, we recommend that you seek immediate legal advice. It may be difficult to make a claim if just one person has fallen sick after eating contaminated food. But if multiple people have been affected, it will be easier to pinpoint the source of the illness. This enables lawyers to establish a link between the outbreak and the manufacturer, supplier or restaurant.

To find out if you have grounds for a food poisoning claim, it is best to speak to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Your case may be an isolated incident. However, you may be aware of other people who have also fallen ill, such as your family and friends. The story may even have made the news. Whatever the circumstances, if you suspect that you have suffered food poisoning due to another party’s negligence, you need to speak to a lawyer about your options.

Contact our Vancouver personal injury lawyers

To speak to our Vancouver personal injury lawyers, contact us for a free consultation. Either fill in the free online enquiry form or call us on 604 684 0040.

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