A lawsuit was filed on behalf of Cindy Day against Aldi’s Inc., in Federal District Court in Iowa. Ms. Day is represented by Marler Clark, the food safety law firm, and Wandro and Associates, a local Des Moines firm. 2019.12.11 Complaint – Case 4:19-cv-00399-RP-CFB.
On or about November 2, 2019, Ms. Day purchased an Asian Chopped Salad mix from Aldi located at 8400 Douglas Ave, Urbandale, Iowa. This product contains romaine lettuce. On Thursday, November 7, 2019, Ms. Day began to experience diarrhea. Her condition continued to deteriorate to include vomiting and her diarrhea became bloody on Saturday, November 9, 2019. Ms. Day sought medical care at a local clinic, where she was given anti-nausea medication. A stool sample provided to the clinic tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Polk County Health Department informed her that her strain of E. coli O157:H7 is a genetic to other outbreak cases.
“We are filing lawsuits, not only to seek compensation for our clients, but to help determine the source of the contamination that has sickened so many,” said Marler Clark managing partner, Bill Marler. “Through the litigation process, we will show how this contamination occurred and who was involved. It is only when all this information is gathered and transparently shared that we can learn how to prevent the next E. coli O157:H7 outbreak,” added Marler.
As of December 2, 2019, 102 people infected with E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from 23 states. There have been over 50 hospitalizations, with at least 10 with acute kidney failure. Illnesses started on dates ranging from September 24 to November 18. As of December 6, the Public Health Agency of Canada has reported two illnesses related to the U.S. outbreak. Based on available traceback data, the FDA requested that industry voluntarily withdraw romaine lettuce grown in Salinas, California from the market and is requesting that the industry withhold distribution of romaine for the remainder of the growing season in Salinas. Consumers are still advised to not eat, and retailers and food service establishments to not sell or serve, any romaine lettuce harvested from the Salinas growing region.
E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks associated with lettuce, specifically the “pre-washed” and “ready-to-eat” varieties, are by no means a new phenomenon. In fact, the frequency with which this country’s fresh produce consuming public has been hit by outbreaks of pathogenic bacteria is astonishing. Here is just a sample of E. coli outbreaks based on information gathered by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Kansas State University, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Date | Vehicle | Etiology | Confirmed Cases |
States/Provinces |
July 1995 | Lettuce (leafy green; red; romaine) | E. coli O157:H7 | 74 | 1:MT |
Sept. 1995 | Lettuce (romaine) | E. coli O157:H7 | 20 | 1:ID |
Sept. 1995 | Lettuce (iceberg) | E. coli O157:H7 | 30 | 1:ME |
Oct. 1995 | Lettuce (iceberg; unconfirmed) | E. coli O157:H7 | 11 | 1:OH |
May-June 1996 | Lettuce (mesclun; red leaf) | E. coli O157:H7 | 61 | 3:CT, IL, NY |
May 1998 | Salad | E. coli O157:H7 | 2 | 1:CA |
Feb.-Mar. 1999 | Lettuce (iceberg) | E. coli O157:H7 | 72 | 1:NE |
Oct. 1999 | Salad | E. coli O157:H7 | 92 | 3:OR, PA, OH |
Oct. 2000 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 6 | 1:IN |
Nov. 2001 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 20 | 1:TX |
July-Aug. 2002 | Lettuce (romaine) | E. coli O157:H7 | 29 | 2:WA, ID |
Nov. 2002 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 13 | 1:Il |
Dec. 2002 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 3 | 1:MN |
Oct. 2003-May 2004 | Lettuce (mixed salad) | E. coli O157:H7 | 57 | 1:CA |
Apr. 2004 | Spinach | E. coli O157:H7 | 16 | 1:CA |
Nov. 2004 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 6 | 1:NJ |
Sept. 2005 | Lettuce (romaine) | E. coli O157:H7 | 32 | 3:MN, WI, OR |
Sept. 2006 | Spinach (baby) | E. coli O157:H7 and other serotypes | 205 | Multistate and Canada |
Nov./Dec. 2006 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 71 | 4:NY, NJ, PA, DE |
Nov./Dec. 2006 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 81 | 3:IA, MN, WI |
July 2007 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 26 | 1:AL |
May 2008 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 9 | 1:WA |
Oct. 2008 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 59 | Multistate and Canada |
Nov. 2008 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 130 | Canada |
Sept. 2009 | Lettuce: Romaine or Iceberg | E. coli O157:H7 | 29 | Multistate |
Sept. 2009 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 10 | Multistate |
April 2010 | Romaine | E. coli O145 | 33 | 5:MI, NY, OH, PA, TN |
Oct. 2011 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 60 | Multistate |
April 2012 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 28 |
1:CA Canada |
June 2012 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 52 | Multistate |
Sept. 2012 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 9 | 1:PA |
Oct. 2012 | Spinach and Spring Mix Blend | E. coli O157:H7 | 33 | Multistate |
Apr. 2013 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O157:H7 | 14 | Multistate |
Aug. 2013 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O157:H7 | 15 | 1:PA |
Oct. 2013 | Ready-To-Eat Salads | E. coli O157:H7 | 33 | Multistate |
Apr. 2014 | Romaine | E. coli O126 | 4 | 1:MN |
Apr. 2015 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O145 | 7 | 3:MD, SC, VA |
June 2016 | Mesclun Mix | E. coli O157:H7 | 11 | 3:IL, MI, WI |
Nov. 2017 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O157:H7 | 67 | Multistate and Canada |
Mar. 2018 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 219 | Multistate and Canada |
Nov. 2018 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 88 | Multistate and Canada |
Sept. 2019 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 23 | Multistate |
Nov. 2019 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 104 | Multistate and Canada |
Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of E. coli outbreaks and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The E. coli lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of E. coli and other foodborne illness infections and have recovered over $700 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our E. coli lawyers have litigated E. coli and HUS cases stemming from outbreaks traced to ground beef, raw milk, lettuce, spinach, sprouts, and other food products. The law firm has brought E. coli lawsuits against such companies as Jack in the Box, Dole, ConAgra, Cargill, and Jimmy John’s. We have proudly represented such victims as Brianne Kiner, Stephanie Smith and Linda Rivera.
- About E. coli – a complete online resource with information on symptoms and risks of E. coli infection
- Marler Clark E. coli Lawsuits and Litigation
- A downloadable Family Health Guide on E. coli (PDF)
- About Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
SOURCE: Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm – for further information, contact jdueck@marlerclark.com