How Can a Lawyer Help Me if I Have a Bacterial Infection?

July 03, 2018

Bacteria are single-cell organisms that are all around, and even inside, of us. Most bacteria we encounter are healthy or at least cannot harm us. Some teachers believe that only one percent of all bacteria pose a possible threat to our health. The one percent number is a very rough estimate because it is impossible to calculate all of the possibilities and doctors identify new strains of bacteria frequently. These new strains of bacteria present enormous health risks because many are resistant to the powerful antibiotics currently prescribed by physicians today.

A person may contract a bacterial infection from any number of sources. One of the most common is food poisoning. Food poisoning, usually from the E.Coli strain of bacteria comes from fecal matter which transfers from the hands of food handlers to others' foods. Additional strains of bacteria can infect food in the otherways, some of which can be deadly.

For example, a person who is hospitalized may contract an infection while seeking treatment. Also, a surgery patient'sincision site may become infected in the hospital.

What Are the Strains of Harmful Bacteria?

Scientists estimate that 31 varieties of viruses and bacteria cause the bulk of food poisoning incidents. The most common causes of food poisoning, according to emedicinehealth.com are:

Norovirus,
Salmonella,
Clostridium perfringens,
Campylobacter, and
Staphylococcus aureus (more commonly known as "staph" infections).

Those bacteria and viruses, along with Escherichia Coli, or E.Coli, cause the greatest number of hospitalizations from food poisoning annually. Also, Listeria and a less-common bacterium called Toxoplasmagondii, and Clostridium botulinum produces most of the deaths attributed to bacterial infections.

Symptoms of Bacterial Infection

Symptoms of bacterial infections vary from person to person. The severity of the symptoms further depends on the relative strength of the bacterialstrain causing the infection.

The most common symptomsof a bacterial infection are:

Swelling of the affected areas,
Redness,
Puss-filled lesions,
Low or High-GradeFevers,
Diarrhea,
Cramps,
Vomiting,
Bloody stool,
Abdominal pain,
Chills, and
Muscle aches.

Children who get food poisoning specifically from E. Coliareat risk for developing a kidney problem called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). Children develop HUS due to the destruction of red blood cells, which affectskidney function and can lead to kidney failure.

Sources of Bacterial Infections

A person can contract a bacterial infection in several ways. One method alluded to above, is through unsanitary conditions during food preparation. Unsanitary conditions during food preparation could be failing to wash hands thoroughly after using the restroom and returning to work, using unsanitized cutting boards, knives, and forks, and improperly handling raw foods such as seafood, red meat, and unpasteurized cheese.

Bacteria can be transferred by other means as well. Bacterial infections cause some sexually transmitted diseases. Additionally, hospitals and healthcare facilities must take great pains to guard against bacterial infections taking root in all areas of the facility, especially in the departments in which open wounds may be treated like in surgical wards or emergencyrooms.

Treatment for Bacterial Infections

Antibiotics are the most common form of treatment for a bacterial infection. Drugs like penicillin and tetracycline treat most bacterial infections. However, taking antibiotics too often can have harmful, and possibly deadly, side effects.

Bacteria resistant to antibiotics grow into a "superbug." According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 23,000 people die every year from infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria out of the 2 million or so people who are treated for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

How Can a Lawyer Help Me if I Have a Bacterial Infection?

Your doctor may be able to help you determine the source of your infection. If it is a food borne illness, an attorney can seek damages from the food source, whether it is a restaurant or even a farm or food processing plant. Most food poisoning illness pass within a few days. However, food poisoning can lead to serious health problems like kidney failure, arthritis, or brain damage, and can even be deadly. Additionally, infections caused by unsanitary medical conditions can lead to massive infections which cannot be stopped except by extraordinary means like an amputation.

Put Our Law Firm's Over 39 Years Of Legal Experience To Work For Your Case!

If you have been injured in any type of accident caused by someone else’s negligence, call Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law for your free consultation today. Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law has been representing those who suffer serious injuries throughout all of Georgia and in the Southeast for over 39 years, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state.

No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour live chat.

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hemolytic-uremic-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20352399
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/antibiotics/article_em.htm#what_is_antibiotic_resistance_am_i_at_risk
https://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/index.html
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/food_poisoning/article_em.htm#what_causes_food_poisoning
https://medlineplus.gov/bacterialinfections.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0024516/
https://www.onhealth.com/content/1/bacterial_infections
https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/index.html

Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law

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Atlanta, GA 30329
Telephone: 1 (800) LAW-NEED
Telephone: 1 (404) 529-6333

Category: Personal Injury