Pritzker Hageman Files Lawsuit in Salmonella Outbreak Linked to 2020 Gatlinburg Chili Cook-Off

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pritzker Hageman law firm filed a lawsuit in Sevier County Circuit Court (court file number 21CV690 – II) on behalf of clients sickened in a Salmonella Muenchen outbreak linked to the 2020 Gatlinburg Chili Cook-Off. Our clients contracted Salmonella food poisoning after eating chili produced and served by the Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg, owned by River Road Operations.

The Hilton Garden Inn was one of 13 vendors that participated in the chili cook-off on November 12, 2020. Within days, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) received reports of gastrointestinal illnesses.

An outbreak investigation found that raw ground pork sausage used as an ingredient in the chili prepared by the Hilton Garden Inn contained a strain of Salmonella Muenchen that was "highly related" to the outbreak strain.

Salmonella Lawyers Say Better Food Safety Practices Are Needed Before 2021 Gatlinburg Chili Cook-Off

The Pritzker Hageman Salmonella lawyers say better food safety practices are needed before the 2021 Gatlinburg Chili Cook-Off on November 11. In their 2020 outbreak investigation, the TDH identified four critical food safety errors made by the Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg.

1. The sausage was likely undercooked because raw meat was cooked in a hot-holding device not intended for this use, allowing bacteria to survive.
2. Buckets were re-used to store undercooked and fully cooked chili, contributing to cross-contamination.
3. Heated chili was improperly cooled, allowing bacteria to multiply.
4. Chili was reheated in a warming device not intended for this use, allowing bacteria to survive and multiply.

Salmonella lawyer Raymond Trueblood-Konz says, "It's surprising that companies as sophisticated as a Hilton Garden Inn franchisee wouldn't know how to properly cook pork sausage. All food producers, big and small, need to be careful about their food safety practices. It only takes one or a few mistakes to injure hundreds of people."

Contact an Experienced Salmonella Lawyer Before Time Runs Out

If you or a loved one contracted a Salmonella infection at the 2020 Gatlinburg Chili Cook-Off, it is important to talk to an experienced Salmonella lawyer as soon as possible because laws called "statutes of limitations" may limit the amount of time you have to file a claim.

The Salmonella lawyers at Pritzker Hageman have represented clients sickened in every major Salmonella outbreak in the U.S.

Contact 
Eric Hageman
[email protected] 
1-888-377-8900

Raymond Trueblood-Konz
[email protected]
1-888-377-8900

SOURCE Pritzker Hageman, P.A.

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