Recently, more than 14 people sickened in a recent E. coli outbreak linked to a West Valley restaurant have hired an attorney who specializes in food-poisoning lawsuits, the attorney said Wednesday. Two suits have already been filed. Kore are certainly on the way, as at least 30 customers who dined at a Federico’s restaurant at 13132 W. Camelback Road near Litchfield Park were sickened by the bacteria, including 12 who were hospitalized, according to the county Health Department. Officials became aware of the cases on Aug. 1., and preliminary lab results suggested customers were infected by the rare 0157 strain of the bacteria.
A spokesman for Federico’s said Wednesday that he did not know how the restaurant’s parent company, Femex LLC, would respond to any lawsuits filed by the Washington, D.C-based Marler Clark law firm, which is representing the customers. “We’re eager to get to the bottom of this,” he said, adding that the owners “care very much about their customers.”
For an incident that occurred only weeks ago, why file a lawsuit so quickly? Answer: Marketing, marketing, marketing.
When an incident like this occurs that affects many people, the attorneys who handle the cases know it is important to let the public know that it is involved in the case. The ONLY way to do this is to file a lawsuit and get the publicity from all media sources. That accomplishes several things, including 1) more potential clients for the law firm and 2) control of the investigation process to aid those who have suffered injuries.
Some people might think that attorneys do this out of greed. That is not very often the case. With so many injured, the risk is that many of the victims start talking—to anyone and everyone. The information gets distorted and before you know it, you have umpteen different versions. That wreaks havoc for attorneys on both sides handling these cases. The consolidation of these cases with one firm, or perhaps a co-op by several firms allows the information and evidence to be gathered in a very organized and cogent form. It helps everyone in the process that will certainly follow.
Also—back to the “greedy lawyers” comment. Did this thought run through your mind initially? Shame on you.
The United States is a nation of laws. Many of those laws are intended to protect the public against evildoers or wrongdoers. The laws accomplish this by allowing victims to hold the wrongdoers financially responsible for the harm they cause. Without these laws, what incentives would business-minded people have to assure the placement of safe products into the marketplace?
If a person owned a business, whose goal was profit, and knew that he/she could manufacture a crappy, unsafe product, makes lots of money and never be held responsible for any harm that might result, the floodgates would open. Every day, the safety laws in the United States prevent that from occurring. WE know that if another gets hurt, we are responsible for the harm we cause.
Who are the enforcers? Lawyers. Period.
So, in the Arizona Ecoli case, a GREAT BIG message and reminder has already gone out to everyone who is aware of this story: Make good products, for if you do not and you cause injury to someone, you WILL be held accountable.
We are all a bit safer today because there are lawyers who are willing to stand up and fight. Remember the words of Theodore Roosevelt:
“No man is above the law and no man is below it, not do we ask anyone’s permission when we ask him to obey it”.
