A woman was diagnosed with reactive arthritis, a painful result of consuming pork carnitas tainted with Salmonella that was purchased at Supermercado Los Corrales.

Yet another lawsuit has been filed against Los Corrales Enterprises, LLC dba Supermercado Los Corrales, this time on behalf of Luis and Lucy Torres, a married couple from Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. Luis, Lucy, and their daughter, Lisa Torres, all suffered from Salmonella poisoning after consuming the tainted pork carnitas prepared and sold by Supermercado Los Corrales in early May of this year. The company is based in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Mr. and Mrs. Torres are being represented by Denis W. Stearns and William D. Marler, attorneys at Marler Clark L.L.P., P.S., a law firm that specializes in cases related to food safety. The case code is #30100. This is the fifth lawsuit filed by the firm pertaining to this particular Salmonella outbreak.

Around May 9, 2015, Mr. Torres purchased pork carnitas from Supermercado Los Corrales that were consumed by the Torres family the following day — Mother’s Day.

Within two days, Luis, Lucy, and Lisa Torres all fell ill with severe gastrointestinal symptoms. These symptoms included abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fatigue, headaches, body aches, nausea, and vomiting, and lasted for more than a week for each affected family member.

Two weeks later, around May 23, Mrs. Torres developed inflammation and redness in her left foot. Soon after, she experienced pain, swollenness, and redness in many of her other joints.

The following day, May 24, Mrs. Torres checked into the emergency room at St. Catherine’s Medical Center to have her painful joints examined. She followed-up with visits to her primary physician, who then referred her to a rheumatologist.

Mrs. Torres was ultimately diagnosed with reactive arthritis, or Reiter’s syndrome. Aside from soreness of joints, reactive arthritis symptoms can include painful urination and irritation of the eyes. It can last for months or years, and can sometimes lead to chronic arthritis which is very difficult to treat.

Since her diagnosis, Mrs. Torres has undergone intensive pharmacological therapy, including taking the steroid Predisone to help combat inflammation.

However, as of July 14, 2015, Mrs. Torres’s conditions have not improved, and have in fact, worsened. The tainted pork carnitas sold by Supermercado Los Corrales was the direct cause of Mrs. Torres’s now permanent injury.

Salmonella is the second most common foodborne illness in the United States. Approximately 1.4 million cases of Salmonella poisoning occur each year, and 95% of those cases are transmitted by tainted food.

Because the Salmonella bacteria is found in human and animal feces, contaminated foods are often of animal origin, including beef, pork, milk, eggs, and cheese. However, all foods, including vegetables, can become contaminated without the utilization of proper hygienic practices, such as washing your hands after using the restroom.

Once the bacteria enters the small intestine, they multiply and enter into the bloodstream within 72 hours. Infants, the elderly, hospitalized persons, and others who embody weak or suppressed immune systems are among the most vulnerable to Salmonella infections, and will often suffer the most severe symptoms.

The acute symptoms of Salmonella include abdominal cramping, diarrhea that may become bloody, and the sudden onset of nausea. A small number of people may experience ongoing symptoms such as joint pain, which can lead to chronic arthritis. There is no cure for Salmonella, but victims are usually able to recover completely over a period of several months.

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $600 million for clients.  Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants.  The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.

If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.