When you or your child becomes seriously ill after eating contaminated food or being exposed to lead, you need answers—and you need them quickly. At Shea & Shea, we represent individuals and families across San Jose and Santa Clara County who are dealing with the consequences of preventable toxic exposure and foodborne illness.

If you’re looking for a San Jose food poisoning lawyer or a lead poisoning lawyer, we’re here to evaluate your situation and explain your options. Call us at (408) 292-2434 for a free consultation.

Food Poisoning: What It Is and How It Happens

Food poisoning—often referred to as foodborne illness—occurs when contaminated food or beverages cause infection or illness. A foodborne illness lawyer in San Jose handles cases where unsafe food handling, contaminated ingredients, or defective products lead to serious harm.

Common causes of food poisoning include:

Improper food handling by restaurants or grocery stores
Cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods
Undercooked meat, poultry, or seafood
Contaminated produce or packaged foods
Improper refrigeration or storage
Unsanitary kitchen conditions

When these failures occur in restaurants, grocery stores, delivery services, or food manufacturing facilities, it’s possible to pursue a food poisoning claim under California product liability and negligence law.

Common Pathogens in Food Poisoning Cases

We do not diagnose medical conditions—but many serious food poisoning cases involve specific bacteria or viruses identified through medical testing.

Some examples include:

Salmonella – Often linked to poultry, eggs, and produce. In some cases, people may have grounds to pursue a salmonella food poisoning lawsuit after serious illness.
coli – Frequently associated with undercooked beef or contaminated greens. An E. coli food poisoning attorney evaluates whether a restaurant or supplier failed to follow safe handling standards.
Listeria – Found in certain deli meats, soft cheeses, and packaged foods. In high-risk individuals, a listeria infection lawsuit lawyer may investigate product contamination issues.
Norovirus – Common in restaurant or catered food outbreaks involving improper hygiene. A restaurant food poisoning lawyer from Shea & Shea can look into the matter.

Serious symptoms can require hospitalization and extended recovery. When contamination leads to significant personal injuries, a qualified food poisoning attorney in San Jose can investigate whether filing a lawsuit is appropriate.

Who Can Be Liable for Food Poisoning?

Responsibility for contaminated food may extend beyond the kitchen. Your Shea & Shea toxic exposure lawyer in San Jose will consider the entire chain of distribution.

Potentially liable parties may include:

Restaurants and caterers
Grocery stores and markets
Food manufacturers and distributors
Delivery services and ghost kitchens
Suppliers of contaminated ingredients

In some cases, a grocery store food poisoning claim involves contaminated produce or packaged items sold to consumers. If defective products or unsafe food reach the public, California law allows injured consumers to pursue product liability contaminated food claims.

How We Prove Food Poisoning Cases

Food poisoning cases require careful gathering evidence. Our legal team examines:

Medical records and lab test results
Timing of symptoms
Receipts and purchase records
Packaging, lot numbers, and labels
Reports to the local health department
Inspection findings or outbreak notices

Linking the illness to a specific source often requires coordination with public health information. Santa Clara County’s Environmental Health Department allows residents to report suspected foodborne illness, which can help identify larger outbreaks.

What to Do After Suspected Food Poisoning

If you believe you became ill due to contaminated food in San Jose:

Seek medical care. Severe or worsening symptoms should be evaluated promptly.
Preserve evidence. Save leftovers, packaging, and receipts if possible.
Document symptoms. Write down when symptoms began and what you consumed.
Report the incident. Contact Santa Clara County’s Environmental Health Department to report suspected foodborne illness.
Speak with a personal injury lawyer. An experienced attorney can evaluate whether legal actions are appropriate.

Taking these steps early strengthens potential legal claims.

Lead Poisoning in San Jose, CA: More Than Just Paint

Lead exposure is not limited to peeling paint in older homes. A San Jose lead poisoning lawyer evaluates a wide range of toxic exposure scenarios.

Common sources of lead exposure include:

Deteriorating lead-based paint in older housing
Lead dust from renovations
Contaminated soil near older structures
Plumbing systems affecting drinking water
Consumer products, toys, or imported goods
Workplace exposure tracked into the home

Individuals most vulnerable to lead exposure include young children and pregnant women. If someone in your household was exposed to lead, a San Jose personal injury attorney from our team can review your options.

Liability in Lead Exposure Cases

Responsibility for lead exposure depends on the circumstances.

Landlords and Property Managers

Property owners have legal obligations when managing older housing. A lead paint exposure lawyer examines whether landlords failed to maintain safe living conditions or ignored known hazards.

Contractors and Renovators

Improper renovation practices can release hazardous dust. Contractors may be liable if they failed to follow safety standards during remodeling.

Schools and Daycare Facilities

If exposure occurred in a childcare or educational setting, administrators and property managers may face legal scrutiny.

Water Contamination

A lead-in-drinking-water lawsuit may arise when plumbing systems introduce unsafe levels of lead into residential or commercial water supplies.

Our San Jose lead poisoning lawyers will consider all available evidence to protect your rights.

Product Manufacturers

Lead in consumer goods or defective products may support product liability claims.

Evidence Checklist in Lead Poisoning Cases

Building a lead exposure case requires documentation. Useful evidence may include:

Age and history of the property
Inspection or risk assessment reports
Blood lead test results
Photos of peeling paint or visible dust
Maintenance requests or complaints
Product receipts or packaging
Correspondence with property managers

An experienced personal injury attorney carefully evaluates all these materials before deciding to go forward with filing a lawsuit.

Damages in Food and Lead Poisoning Cases

When negligence or defective products cause harm, California law allows injured individuals to seek compensation you deserve for losses such as:

Medical expenses
Ongoing treatment or monitoring
Lost wages or loss of earning capacity
Pain and suffering

In cases involving the loss of a loved one, families may pursue a wrongful death claim. Each case depends on its specific facts.

Statute of Limitations in California

In most California personal injury cases, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. However, toxic exposure and contamination cases do not always follow a simple “date of exposure” rule.

Under what is known as the discovery rule, the filing deadline may begin when a person knew—or reasonably should have known—that they were injured and that the injury was caused by someone else’s conduct. This can be especially important in lead exposure cases or situations where the connection between contaminated food and illness is not immediately clear.

There are also special deadlines that can apply—for example, claims against public entities typically require a government claim to be filed within six months, and cases involving minors may involve different tolling rules.

Because missing a deadline can prevent you from pursuing legal claims, we encourage anyone who believes they were exposed to lead or suffered serious food poisoning to speak with a toxic exposure lawyer in San Jose as soon as possible.

Why Choose Shea & Shea?

Since 1966, Shea & Shea has represented individuals harmed by serious negligence. We focus on complex and catastrophic personal injuries, including toxic exposure and contamination cases.

Food poisoning and lead exposure cases often require:

Careful medical analysis
Scientific investigation
Coordination with public health findings
Strategic case development

Our legal team approaches these cases methodically. If you are considering filing a lawsuit, we provide clear legal advice and honest guidance about your options.

FAQs

How do you prove the source of food poisoning?

We examine medical records, lab results, timing of symptoms, purchase receipts, and public health information. Establishing a timeline and linking it to a specific source is a key part of gathering evidence. Our San Jose food poisoning lawyers can help get to the root of the issue.

Do I need lab tests to file a food poisoning claim?

Lab confirmation can strengthen a case, but every situation is different. Your personal injury lawyer can review available documentation and explain your options.

Can I sue a restaurant or grocery store?

Yes, if negligence or unsafe food practices caused your illness, legal claims may be pursued against restaurants, grocery stores, or other responsible parties. Contact a Shea & Shea food poisoning attorney in San Jose for more information.

Can renters sue a landlord for lead exposure?

Renters may have legal options if a landlord failed to address known hazards or maintain safe living conditions in older housing.

What if my child was exposed to lead?

If your child was exposed to lead, seek medical evaluation first. Then call our office to speak with a child lead poisoning attorney to determine whether legal actions are appropriate.

How long do food poisoning and lead cases take?

The timeline depends on the complexity of the investigation and negotiations with insurers or defendants. Some cases resolve through settlement; others may require litigation.

Contact a San Jose Food & Lead Poisoning Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one suffered personal injuries due to contaminated food or exposure to lead in San Jose or another area in Santa Clara County, we are ready to review your case.

Call Shea & Shea at (408) 292-2434 or use our online form to contact us today for a free consultation. A poisoning lawyer from our legal team will evaluate your situation and explain the next steps in protecting your rights.

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