Lexington restaurant is responsible for 248 illnesses, including one death

Davidson County residents Debbie Hogan and Eric King have filed a lawsuit against Stance, Inc. and Tarheel Q Inc. after suffering from Salmonella poisoning from food purchased and eaten at the Tarheel Q restaurant. Both are represented by Brett Dressler, Esq. of Sellers Ayers Dortch Lyons Attorneys at Law and William D. Marler, Esq., of Marler Clark, LLP. Both law firms are representing other victims in the outbreak, and have previously filed other lawsuits.

On or about June 17, 2015, Mrs. Hogan purchased and consumed a barbecue salad and hush puppies from the Tarheel Q restaurant. Mr. King also ate a barbecue salad and chili cheese fries. Within just a few days, both plaintiffs began to suffer agonizing symptoms such as abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

The illnesses of both plaintiffs became progressively worse over the next several days. Ms. Hogan was bedridden for a week. When finally able to arise, she sought medical attention at the Davidson County Health Department, where she gave a stool sample for testing. It later tested positive for Salmonella. Mr. King did not receive medical treatment for his illness.

The North Carolina Division of Public Health reports that at least 248 people have been sickened, including one death, from 19 North Carolina counties and 5 states. Seventy-nine percent of cases had illness onset dates between Tuesday, June 16, 2015, and Sunday, June 21, 2015.

All 248 people ate at Tarheel Q on West US Highway 64 in Lexington, in the days before falling ill, officials said.

Laboratory testing indicates that the BBQ sample and a sample from a patient who became ill during the beginning of the outbreak are both positive for Salmonella species.

On Monday, June 29, 2015, 100 people prayed to have the restaurant reopen (which it did on July 1).

“A person died from eating at this restaurant. Hundreds became ill and many are still suffering. It is imperative that Tarheel Q make the necessary changes to ensure their kitchen is safe and to prevent any further deaths and illnesses,” said Brett Dressler, of Sellers Ayers Dortch Lyons Attorneys. “The litigation system isn’t perfect, but it provides a recourse to victims to be able to send a message encouraging businesses like Tarheel Q to change their ways.”

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.