6-year-old California Boy Suffers Kidney Failure after Eating Salad at Pizza Shop
The mother of a 6-year-old boy who suffered an E. coli infection and kidney failure as a result of eating salad at a California pizza shop has filed a lawsuit against the restaurant. According to a Time.com news report, Taylor Fitzgerald said she picked up a salad and a pizza from Papa Murphy’s, a take-and-bake pizza shop in Rocklin. While the pizza cooked, Murphy said she gave her son a salad to snack on.
Major E. Coli Health Effects
But a few days later, her son developed bloody diarrhea, fever and severe body cramps. So, she took him to the emergency room. Two days later, his condition grew worse and he was diagnosed with a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS. The child stayed in the hospital for 16 days.
Fitzgerald filed a lawsuit against the pizza shop in Eastern California district court. Nationwide, 149 people have been sickened by an E. coli outbreak linked to tainted romaine lettuce. Fitzgerald said she is trying to bring attention to the issue so that number doesn’t get any higher. She also said she was not aware of the E. coli risk when she bought the salad and would have stayed away from it had she known better.
She said she wants justice for her young son for what he’s gone through including the hospital bills, the trauma and long road to recovery he still has ahead of him. Fitzgerald has had to take time off her job as a flight attendant to care for and home-school her son while he recovers. She says her son could have several months of recovery ahead of him and may also have to undergo a brain scan to make sure he won’t have any lasting cognitive damage from the ordeal.
If You Have Been Sickened
Many people who get food poisoning usually recover without any major health issues. While some may require hospitalization, they still manage to recover in a few days with medication and treatment. However, in some cases, individuals may be left with major health problems. In E. coli cases, patients may suffer from HUS, which could lead to kidney failure and other major complications.
If you have suffered food poisoning as the result of eating contaminated restaurant food, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the restaurant that served you the food as well as the place from which the restaurant sourced that food or product. Contact an experienced California food poisoning lawyer who will help get to the bottom of your particular case and hold all the at-fault parties accountable. You may be able to seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost income, hospitalization, cost of continuing treatment and care and pain and suffering.