When I want a really good hamburger, I visit a private dining establishment. They will cook and serve a "rare" or "medium rare" burger for me. This "underdone" food item is served with a warning, however. It's my choice. When I buy drive-thru, I expect the burger to be not as good, but it shouldn't make me ill either.

In 1993 there was an E. coli (a nasty bacteria) contamination outbreak in Washington State, which resulted in not only many sick adults, but seriously injured children as well. It's because of this outbreak that restaurants nationwide reluctantly serve some underdone food. Personal injury lawsuits showed restaurants how dangerous and expensive un-properly prepared food can be. Even food contaminated by E. coli, can be served safely, if it is thoroughly cooked.

Personal Injury Attorney Terry E. Lumsden successfully represented one of the severely injured children that were afflicted as a result of the Jack In The Box contamination outbreak. Terry was a leader of 10 law firms that represented seriously injured children because of that E. coli contaminated food outbreak.

Terry said, "I organized a seminar in Las Vegas, Nevada for these law firms, where the work was divided amongst the firms. I coordinated their discovery, the litigation, document production, etc. The project took several years, but resulted in many multi-million dollar settlements for the injured children."

Terry was successful in is lawsuit. His client received a substantial personal injury settlement. The total amount of the settlement is confidential at the request of Jack In The Box. Terry is very experienced in E. Coli and Salmonella contamination. He has litigated similar cases since that 1993 outbreak.

Because of the personal injury lawsuits against Jack In The Box, local health departments adhere to strict procedures in food handling and cooking. Even in our homes, we should know of potential risks and what to do about them. But, restaurants especially should be accountable for the food they serve. They are after all professionals.

We should be able to visit a restaurant, fast food or not, and order with confidence, knowing that the food we'll be served will not make us sick. Jack In The Box has remained a quality food establishment producing some excellent items. I have many favorites there. I order without fear.

If occasionally, I want to take a little bit of a chance . . . take a walk on the wild side . . . and order a hamburger "rare" that's up to me.