BOISE, Idaho – The 11th lawsuit was filed today related to the Romaine lettuce E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Jordan Anglen against Grasmick Produce Co. INC. Mr. Anglen is represented by Marler Clark, the food safety law firm, and Hepworth Holzer, LLP, a local firm. 2018-08-17 Complaint
On March 25, Mr. Anglen, a 23-year-old, Costco employee, purchased a Caesar salad from the Costco food court where he worked. The salad was prepared from a salad mix processed by Grasmick Produce containing romaine grown and harvested in Yuma, Arizona.
On March 28, Mr. Anglen began experiencing bloody diarrhea along with severe abdominal pains. His symptoms became so intense that he sought medical attention from Primary Health Urgent Care the next day. On March 30, Mr. Anglen was transferred to St. Luke’s Boise, where he was diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication of E. coli O157:H7. As a result of neurological damage resulting from HUS, Mr. Anglen suffered from numerous seizures. He remained hospitalized through April 23, 2018. Mr. Anglen continues to receive medical care for his injuries.
“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. “The FDA has done little to show the route of the E. coli O157:H7 contamination from Yuma to consumer meals. 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.
On April 10, 2018, the CDC announced an investigation into an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak stemming from romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma region of Arizona. There were a total of 210 confirmed cases across 36 states, with 96 hospitalizations and 5 deaths. California was hardest hit with 49 sickened. Idaho had 12 illnesses, including Mr. Anglen. The five deaths were reported in Arkansas, California, New York and Minnesota. Two of the five deaths were from Minnesota.
Marler Clark currently represents 87 people affected in the outbreak and has filed 11 lawsuits associated with the outbreak.
Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The E. coli O157:H7 lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of E. coli O157:H7 and other foodborne illness infections and have recovered over $650 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 O157:H7 lawyers have litigated E. coli O157:H7 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 O157:H7 lawsuits against such companies as Jack in the Box, Dole, ConAgra, Cargill, and Jimmy John’s. We have proudly represented such E. coli O157:H7 victims as Brianne Kiner, Stephanie Smith and Linda Rivera.