Author: McKenna Madison Coveny

Every year, millions of Americans suffer from foodborne illnesses after consuming contaminated food. For many, the experience is limited to several miserable days of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. For others, however, food poisoning can lead to hospitalization, kidney failure, neurological complications, miscarriage, long-term digestive disorders, or even death. While public health agencies work to identify outbreaks and remove contaminated products from the market, the civil justice system serves a different purpose: holding negligent companies accountable and providing compensation to those harmed. Food poisoning lawsuits have become an increasingly important tool in promoting food safety throughout the United States.…

Listeria, E. coli, Botulism, and Aalmonella are four of America’s deadliest foodborne pathogens — and a veteran courtroom warrior says the industry keeps failing to stop them. By McKenna Coveny | June 18, 2026 On December 15, 2025 — the day after his first child was born — Wesley Williams fell gravely ill. He had been consuming a product marketed specifically for people who cared about their health: Live It Up Super Greens, a dietary supplement powder sold online to wellness-conscious buyers across the country. By the time federal authorities confirmed the connection, 45 people in 21 states had been diagnosed…

Botulism is a rare but potentially life-threatening illness caused by toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Although uncommon, botulism has attracted significant attention from scientists and medical professionals because it involves one of the most powerful biological toxins known to science. Understanding how botulism develops, affects the human body, and can be prevented provides important insights into microbiology, neurology, and public health. What Is Botulism? Botulism is a neurological disease caused by exposure to botulinum neurotoxins. These toxins are produced primarily by Clostridium botulinum, a spore-forming, anaerobic bacterium. Anaerobic bacteria thrive in environments with little or no oxygen, such…

The Outbreak at a Glance A recent recall of powdered infant formula has drawn national attention after health officials linked the product to several cases of infant botulism across three states. While the number of confirmed illnesses remains relatively small, the severity of the disease has prompted an aggressive public health response from federal and state agencies. Infant botulism is one of the rarest foodborne illnesses in the United States, but it is also one of the most dangerous. Unlike typical food poisoning, which usually causes gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea, botulism affects the nervous system. In infants,…

For most people, a bout of food poisoning follows a familiar arc: the queasy stomach, the cramping, the fever that comes and goes, a few days spent close to a bathroom, and then it ends. Within a week, the body has cleared the invader, and life resumes. But for a meaningful subset of people who contract Salmonella, the story doesn’t end there. Some become long-term carriers of the bacteria without ever feeling sick again. Others find that weeks or months after their gut has settled, new problems emerge — joint pain, digestive disorders, or in rare cases, infections that have…

The rise of GLP-1 medications has transformed the weight loss landscape. Drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide have helped millions of people lose substantial amounts of weight, improve blood sugar control, and reduce their risk of obesity-related health conditions. Their popularity has exploded, with prescriptions increasing dramatically over the past several years and demand continuing to grow among both diabetic and non-diabetic patients seeking weight management solutions. Much of the public conversation surrounding GLP-1 medications has focused on their effectiveness. Stories of dramatic weight loss, reduced appetite, and improved metabolic health dominate headlines and social media feeds. Discussions about side…

Most people think of Salmonella as a stomach illness. Mention the bacteria and the image that comes to mind is usually undercooked chicken, contaminated produce, days of diarrhea, and an uncomfortable but temporary recovery. In the overwhelming majority of cases, that perception is accurate. Salmonella is one of the leading causes of foodborne illness in the United States, causing an estimated 1.35 million infections each year. According to the CDC, typical symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, nausea, and vomiting, and most healthy adults recover without lasting consequences. Yet hidden beneath that familiar story is a far less discussed reality.…

By a Legal Correspondent | Featuring commentary from Ron Simon, National Food Safety Lawyer You ordered the mahi-mahi. The plate arrives looking perfectly fine — fresh, well-cooked, garnished with care. Twenty minutes later, your face is flushed, your throat is burning, your heart is racing, and you feel as though you are having a severe allergic reaction. You are not allergic to fish. What you are experiencing is scombroid poisoning — and in the United States, it happens far more often than most people realize. What Is Scombroid Poisoning? Scombroid food poisoning, also known as histamine fish poisoning or scombrotoxism,…

By the time most people hear about a major foodborne illness outbreak on the news, Ron Simon has probably already filed a lawsuit. It is a Tuesday morning in Houston, Texas, and Ron Simon is already on the phone. Somewhere in the country — it could be California, Illinois, or Ohio — someone has just been diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 after eating at a restaurant chain, and the epidemiological trail is still warm. Simon, who has spent more than three decades fighting food companies in courtrooms across the United States, has a gift for arriving first. His firm, Ron…

A public health reminderr on why soft cheeses carry elevated risk, what listeria does to the human body, and the outbreaks that keep reminding us this threat is real. A Bacterium That Thrives Where Others Cannot Most foodborne pathogens are, at least in principle, manageable. Refrigerate your food, cook it to the right temperature, and the risk drops dramatically. Listeria monocytogenes does not play by those rules. Unlike most disease-causing bacteria, listeria is a psychrotrophic organism — it can survive and multiply at refrigeration temperatures, including the 35–40°F range of a standard home refrigerator. This single characteristic is what makes…