Charleston Personal Injury Claims May Result from Contaminated Ice Cream

Clore Law · April 15 2015

There have been many high-profile recalls in the past year. Numerous auto-makers, medical device manufacturers, and producers of drugs have had their products pulled due to their potential to cause personal injury. It's always disappointing to hear the damage that is caused when a company does not fulfill its ethical responsibilities to its consumers, but in some industries, it's almost commonplace. The food industry has had its fair share of recalls as well, but nothing recent has come close to the events unfolding with the ice cream giant, Blue Bell. Listeria Monocytogenes was Discovered in Blue Bell Ice Cream The bacteria, listeria monocytogenes, isn't very common, but it can be deadly. After it has been ingested, it can incubate in a person's system for days or even months before developing into a listeriosis infection. People with compromised immune systems, such as those suffering from cancer or HIV, as well as children and the elderly, are most vulnerable. Pregnant women are also at risk for miscarriage and other complications if they develop listeriosis. Although healthy individuals may only suffer from gastrointestinal problems, like diarrhea, those who develop an infection may also have fevers and body aches. Three People Have Died from Eating Blue Bell Ice Cream Sadly, Blue Bell did not discover it was selling harmful products on its own. Their contaminated single-serving cups were sold to hospitals, nursing homes, and schools, and then served directly to the people who were most vulnerable. Three patients in a Kansas hospital consumed the ice cream, and then passed away from related complications. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), eight more people have become ill as well. Upon investigating the deaths at the Kansas hospital, officials were able to trace the contaminated ice cream to a single machine in a Blue Bell facility in Texas. Blue Bell has Been Compliant, But Not Proactive When the FDA notified Blue Bell of the initial issue, the company voluntarily recalled all of its known contaminated products. However the FDA continued to investigate, and found that similar products from a Blue Bell facility in Oklahoma were tainted as well. Again, Blue Bell took action, but not until several days had passed. The FDA pressed on, and found out that some products being sold in grocery stores, including those in Charleston, could cause personal injury as well. Blue Bell has since recalled those items in addition to the others, and there are now more than 25 different products which are not safe for consumption.

Charleston Personal Injury Attorney

It's not likely that we've seen the end of this Blue Bell situation yet, as the investigation is ongoing. Please take a moment to verify if you have any of their contaminated ice cream, and be sure to safely discard it if you do. Equally, if you have become ill as a result of consuming a contaminated product, whether it was made by Blue Bell or another company, a court may award you with funds to cover your medical bills and other resulting expenses. Please contact us for a free consultation using our online form, or speak to one of our attorneys now by calling 1(800)610-2546.