South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
Feasting with friends and family is one of the many celebrated holiday traditions. Although we tend to think of the winter holiday season as one where we spread family recipes, cheer and gifts, the truth is food poisoning on holiday in South Florida is unfortunately too common.
Of course, food poisoning can occur at any time, but our South Florida injury lawyers know some of the problems that can lead to foodborne illness during this otherwise festive time include:
- Restaurants, grocery stores, cruise ships, hotels and food processing plants are extremely busy in the latter months of the year. This can lead to overlooking important sanitary guidelines for food safety.
- Mail-order foods – especially meats, cheeses, fruits and seafood – can be especially hazardous if not properly packed, shipped, stored and delivered. These are popular items in gift baskets this time of year.
- Holiday buffets, whether at restaurants, office parties or family gatherings can become breeding grounds for foodborne illness when food is left out for long stretches.
- Amateur cooks (and sometimes even experienced ones) are rushed and sometimes fail to follow proper food prep safety.
- Certain popular holiday foods, such as eggnog, turkey and even baked goods can be hazardous if not properly prepared or surfaces thoroughly cleaned.
- Growers and distributors may not properly label “post-purge” dates on food items sold in stores and wholesale to restaurants.
Symptoms of a foodborne illness include stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, headaches, aches, flu-like systems, and lethargy. Although most people can recover from food poisoning, those with compromised immune systems, children and the elderly may be especially vulnerable to developing serious complications. If you have fallen seriously ill as a result of food poisoning on holiday, contact our South Florida injury lawyers for information about your legal options. Continue reading →