Consumers have the right to assume that the food they buy in a grocery store in New Haven is safe to eat. They shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not the food is contaminated. In the instances where it does happen, there is no excuse and the person who was negatively affected by the tainted food has a right to compensation not only from the store that sold it but also the facility where it was manufactured or grown.
One man is going after a farm, an auditory group, and a large grocery store chain after he became ill and suffered a brain injury as a result of eating a cantaloupe. The cantaloupe was infected with listeria bacteria and caused him to suffer symptoms, including significant confusion, which medical personnel believed to be meningitis. He was sent to a rehabilitation center to recover, but after his health deteriorated, he was transferred back to the hospital. While he was there, it was discovered that he had suffered brain lesions caused by the bacteria. His condition is permanent.
The man is suing the auditory group because they had performed an inspection on the facility where the cantaloupe was processed just a week before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found one-third of the cantaloupe samples that they had collected were infected with listeria. The auditor failed to find the bacteria during his search, evidently overlooking several red flags including the fact that the facility did not use antimicrobial in its washing system. It also allowed water to pool in the packing house, effectively creating a harboring site for bacteria.
Because of the permanent nature of his injuries, this man’s life will never be the same. He should be entitled to compensation for his pain and suffering and his medical bills.
