Consumers in Raleigh and other cities in North Carolina are exposed to many food-related threats. The number of personal injury lawsuits that are filed in civil courts is not surprising when one considers the fact that manufacturers of chicken products have issued eight recalls within the first six weeks of 2019. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service provided a list of some of the reasons for these recalls.
An FSIS spokesperson says none of the recalls involved whole chickens. According to her, the more steps in the manufacturing process, the higher the chances for bacterial contamination or foreign material being present in the final products. Further reports indicate that it is almost always caused by human error. These could include suppliers changing the content of ingredients, workers getting the recipe wrong, employees putting a product in the wrong box or loading the wrong roll of ingredient labels into a packaging machine.
Typical causes of the presence of foreign matter like bits of plastic, metal or wood involve negligent maintenance that leads to damaged or worn parts of equipment breaking off or detaching. It could be pieces of a conveyor belt, chopping blade, gasket or impeller. Allergen-related recalls result from undeclared milk, eggs, coconut and wheat products.
Anyone in North Carolina who was harmed by foreign materials or undeclared allergens in chicken products can pursue financial relief. Navigating a product liability lawsuit is complicated and might be best done by an experienced personal injury attorney in Raleigh. A successful claim could lead to a monetary judgment that will cover economic and noneconomic damages.
