Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable liver infection that spreads through contaminated food and water — or through an infected food handler who didn’t practice proper hygiene. When a restaurant or grocery store is the source, health departments routinely issue exposure notices and may recommend post-exposure vaccination. Pritzker Hageman’s national Hepatitis A lawsuit team has represented victims in many of the country’s most-publicized restaurant and produce-linked outbreaks.
What is Hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a virus (HAV) that infects the liver. It spreads by the fecal-oral route, including when an infected person prepares food without proper handwashing. Symptoms typically appear 2 to 7 weeks after exposure and last weeks to months. Most people recover fully, but the illness occasionally progresses to liver failure that requires hospitalization or transplant.
Symptoms of Hepatitis A
- Fatigue and loss of appetite
- Nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain
- Low-grade fever and joint pain
- Dark urine and clay-colored stool
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
If you were exposed at a restaurant
When a food handler is diagnosed with Hepatitis A, local health departments often issue exposure notices and recommend post-exposure prophylaxis (the Hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin) for diners who ate at the restaurant during the contagious period. If you were notified, vaccinated, or diagnosed after eating at an implicated establishment, you may have a legal claim. See how Hepatitis A lawsuits work for what to expect.
Common sources
- Frozen and fresh berries (including the multi-state Fresh Thyme blackberry outbreak)
- Green onions and other fresh produce
- Shellfish from contaminated waters
- Food prepared by an infected food handler — for example, the Gino’s Ristorante outbreak and the Famous Anthony’s outbreak
Why early action matters
Hepatitis A claims often have to be filed within a year or two depending on the state, and medical records, vaccination receipts, and exposure notices are easier to gather while the outbreak is still fresh. If you think you were exposed in an outbreak, get vaccinated within 14 days if you have not been, document your medical care, and reach out to a lawyer.