USLegal Reporter » Personal Injury

Salmonella Outbreak in Tomatoes

Della Sellers — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:55:52 +0000

Restaurants, including McDonald’s and Taco Bell, as well as grocery stores such as Winn Dixie and Albertson’s, have removed several varieties of tomatoes from menus and store offerings due to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (”FDA”) alert Monday of a salmonella food poisoning outbreak in at least 16 states. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak has resulted in at least 145 reported cases and 23 hospitalizations.

The FDA has limited its investigation and alert to raw red plum, Roma or round tomatoes and has urged the public to limit consumption of tomatoes to those of the cherry, grape, vine, and homegrown varieties. A list of states that have not been associated with the outbreak is available at http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html.

Source: http://news.findlaw.com/ap/f/1310//06-09-2008/20080609120503_11.html

Illinois County Settles Inmate Death Lawsuit

carrie — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 22:09:55 +0000

Cook County on Wednesday agreed to pay $950,000 to settle a lawsuit involving a female inmate who died in jail. In 2002, Marie O’Donnell-Smith was arrested for shoplifting and placed in a cell. O’Donnell-Smith was also a recovering heroin addict and she collapsed to the floor allegedly complaining of health trouble. She was reportedly given a drug “cocktail” and returned to her cell. She was found dead the next morning.

A doctor hired by the plaintiffs testified that O’Donnell-Smith would not have died if she had received proper medical treatment. He stated that the heroin withdrawl likely caused an irregular heart arrhythmia, which caused her heart to stop.

The Cook County Sheriff’s office had previously agreed to pay $50,000 the plaintiff’s family.

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/north/chi-0704181004apr19,1,4616172.story?coll=chi-newslocalnorth-hed