Tropical Smoothie Café is facing several class action lawsuits for people who needed a vaccine after being exposed to hepatitis A. Individual lawsuits are also being filed by people who were actually infected by hepatitis A.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Tropical Smoothie Café induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Food Poisoning Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Tropical Smoothie Class Action Lawsuit
On August 25, Tropical Smoothie Café was hit with a class action lawsuit (PDF) in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, Virginia. The lawsuit was filed by Laura L. Pyka on behalf of everyone who needed a vaccine after being exposed to hepatitis A.
Hospitalized Victims File Individual Lawsuits
Several individual lawsuits have also been filed by people who were actually infected with hepatitis A. The first lawsuit was filed in late August by Constantinos A. Raptis, a man who was hospitalized for 4 days. He is seeking $100,000 in compensation for his injury, hospital bills, lost income, and more. On September 20, another individual lawsuit (PDF) was filed by a man who was hospitalized for 4 days. Click here to read more.
Hepatitis A Outbreak Case Count
As of October 20, 2016, health officials have confirmed a total of 134 illnesses in 9 states. The case count is Arkansas (1), California (1), Maryland (12), New York (3), North Carolina (1), Oregon (1), Virginia (107), West Virginia (7), and Wisconsin (1). At least 52 ill people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Outbreak Linked to Frozen Strawberries from Egypt
Frozen strawberries imported from Egypt are the likely source of the outbreak, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Genetic testing revealed that many victims were infected by the same strain of hepatitis A that caused two outbreaks in Europe in 2013 from strawberries grown in Egypt and Morocco.
What is Hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a virus that is very contagious and causes liver inflammation. Person-to-person transmission occurs through the “fecal-to-oral” route. Large outbreaks can occur when sewage contaminates water or food that is eaten uncooked.
The symptoms of hepatitis A vary widely. While some people have only a mild flu-like illness, others must be hospitalized and 10-15% of victims are sick for 6 months. The symptoms may include:
- Fever
- Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes)
- Muscle aches
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal discomfort
- Fatigue
- Dark urine, clay-colored stools
What is the problem?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is nationally recognized as a class action law firm, but our lawyers are not filing a class action lawsuit against Tropical Smoothie Café. Instead, we are filing individual lawsuits for people who were diagnosed with hepatitis A.
About Class Actions
Class actions are a great way to help a lot of people who were exposed to hepatitis A but not actually infected. Everyone joins together and seeks reimbursement for the vaccine, blood tests, or follow-up medical care.
Why Our Law Firm is Filing Individual Lawsuits as Opposed to a Class Action
Class actions are not designed to maximize compensation for people with more serious injuries than the average plaintiff. Some people with hepatitis A are hospitalized or have symptoms lasting several months. These cases are usually handled as individual lawsuits.
Our lawyers believe there is no excuse for selling food contaminated with hepatitis A. We specialize in helping our clients seek compensation for their medical expenses, pain and suffering, long-term injuries, lost income, and more.
Do I have a Tropical Smoothie Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Tropical Smoothie Café induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Food Poisoning Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
