We discussed the case late last year and since that time the family of the 3-year-old boy gathered important information before filing their suit against the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Conservation.
The lawsuit was filed before the North Carolina Industrial Commission last week and claims that the boy’s injuries were the direct and proximate result of negligence by the State of North Carolina. Specifically, the suit alleges that North Carolina owed a duty to the claimant, his family and the public at large to keep the State Fairground safe.
The family of the young boy says that the State failed to keep the fairgrounds safe by not sufficiently cleaning the animal holding areas inside the main building on the site. The public was put at serious risk because of the multiple surfaces in the building that had E. coli present and the fact that the State encouraged the public to eat and drink inside the building, making use of those contaminated surfaces. The state also failed to provide a sufficient number of hand washing stations for the public. The family’s attorneys pointed out that the state even failed to live up to its own specific guidelines about proper disposal of animal waste.
The little boy’s family is still hurting from the incident back in 2011. They have found themselves saddled with massive hospital bills and have already depleted their savings account trying to pay medical bills that continue arriving every day. Given the financial harm suffered by the family and the physical harm suffered by the boy, they are asking that the state be responsible for paying $500,000.
The family was not the only one impacted by the E. coli outbreak. According to the state’s Department of Agriculture and Conservation, there were at least 25 cases of E. coli linked to the fair in 2011.
If you, or someone you know, have any questions regarding personal injury claims, please feel free to contact the experienced personal injury attorneys and lawyers in Charlotte, North Carolina at Arnold & Smith, PLLC for a free consultation. Call at 704-370-2828.
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Attorney Matthew R. Arnold answering the question: “I have been injured on another person’s property. What should I do now?”
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