Lawyers have announced that Scottish victims of the recent listeria outbreak have begun civil actions against supermarkets.
The legal proceedings were announced today after 50 frozen food products were pulled from shelves just last week over contamination fears.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Iceland, Lidl and Aldi are among the chains which recalled items like frozen corn, peas and spinach after a series of deaths across Europe sparked a warning from health officials.
But Mark Gibson, a Partner at Digby Brown Solicitors who specialises in poisoning cases, fears even more cases are likely to emerge across the country.
Mr Gibson, who represented victims of the 2016 Errington Cheese e-coli outbreak and the 2012 Legionnaires outbreak in Edinburgh, said: “This listeria outbreak cannot and should not be taken lightly – it has affected an entire continent, so much so that people have sadly died.
“Supermarkets may have recalled some products but the sheer scale of the issue and the delay in responding to it, means the number of victims can only be expected to increase.
“We are aware that many of those affected are currently receiving medical treatment and the full impact is not yet known.
“So far, several individuals from across the Central Belt have contacted us for legal assistance after it was confirmed to them by A&E doctors that they were suffering from listeriosis but due to privacy issues, and investigations being at an early stage, we cannot disclose any further details.
“If anyone thinks they or a loved one has been affected by contaminated foods then I urge you to see a medical professional as soon as possible as the symptoms could initially be mistaken for a severe episode of conditions such as flu or a gastric bug.”
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