The DeFusco’s Bakery in Rhode Island that is alleged to have caused dozens of people to suffer from salmonella food poisoning will now face personal injury lawsuits as a result. According to local news reports, over 70 people have reported illness from the contaminated zeppoles, and almost 30 people needed to be hospitalized. Further, some believe that the salmonella poisoning could also have caused the death of two elderly people. As a Plantation Products Liability Attorney, I think this case demonstrates how quickly these situations can become dangerous and even life threatening. Something like salmonella can spread very quickly, especially if the outbreak is linked to a center of distribution like a food establishment.
According to the Rhode Island Department of Health press release, DeFusco’s Bakery has been ordered to remain closed until further notice. Unfortunately, before DeFusco’s was shut down, it had already sold additional potentially contaminated zeppoles to other bakeries, locally and in other states. Thus, the potential spread of salmonella could grow to a larger number of people. From a Plantation Personal Injury Lawyer’s perspective, the plaintiffs in these lawsuits will likely sue for negligence on behalf of the bakery and seek compensation for damages such as medical expenses and pain and suffering.
Going back to the distribution of the zeppoles to other bakeries, one can only hope that the additional sales were very limited so that more people don’t become ill. As a Plantation Products Liability Attorney, I will be curious to see if this case grows into a class action claim against DeFusco’s Bakery. It seems as though things might be heading that way already from what I have read.
This is a very unfortunate circumstance and I sympathize with all of the parties involved. As a Plantation Personal Injury Attorney I’m sorry to say that I hear stories like this one far too often. Hopefully this salmonella outbreak has been fully contained at this point and hopefully those who fell ill can make full recoveries.
