Outbreak tied to food prepared and sold by the Co-op deli; 290 People Sickened

Canyon County resident Cecilia Brasseure has filed a lawsuit against Boise Consumer Cooperative, Inc., d/b/a Boise Co-op. Brasseure is suing over a severe case of salmonella poisoning she suffered after eating food from the Boise Co-op in mid-June. Brasseure is represented by Robie G. Russell of Russell Law Offices, and William D. Marler of Marler Clark Food Safety Law Firm, LLP. The case code is CVPI1511839. Both law firms are representing other victims in the outbreak, and have previously filed four other lawsuits.

On June 10, 2015, Cecilia Brasseure purchased several items from the grab-and-go section of the Boise Co-op, including a salad and a sandwich wrap, which she consumed the same day. One or more of these items was contaminated by Salmonella bacteria. She began to experience symptoms of Salmonella poisoning on June 12, which included intense abdominal cramps and repeated bouts of diarrhea.

Ms. Brasseure’s symptoms became dramatically worse in the following days, and she was treated at St. Luke’s Nampa Medical Center Emergency Department. During her visit she submitted a stool sample that tested positive for Salmonella.

Ms. Brasseure continues to experience difficult gastrointestinal symptoms. She has required additional medical treatment, and has unfortunately developed a chronic, if not permanent, gastrointestinal condition.

Ms. Brasseure has been a member of the Co-op since it opened, and is one of many longtime members affected by this outbreak.

“The Co-op has a duty to its customers to comply with state and federal regulations in order to ensure the safety and purity of its food products, and it failed to do so,” said Bill Marler, co-founder and partner with Marler Clark. “As a result of these actions, Ms. Brasseure and other loyal customers have suffered.”

Marler has been an advocate for victims of food borne illnesses since representing those made sickest by an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 traced back to fast food giant Jack in the Box. He has represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and is seen as an expert on food safety.

Salmonella is the second most common foodborne illness in the United States. Approximately 1.4 million cases of Salmonella occur each year with 95% of those caused by tainted food. The acute symptoms of Salmonella include the sudden onset of nausea, abdominal cramping, and bloody diarrhea and mucous over a period of days. While there is no cure, infected persons usually recover completely, although it may take months. A small number of people experience ongoing symptoms such as joint pain, which can lead to chronic arthritis.

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $600 million for clients.  Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants.  The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.

If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.