Outbreak tied to food prepared and sold by the Co-op deli; Number of illnesses rapidly increased in past several days

Payette County resident Francisco Pantoja has filed a lawsuit against Boise Consumer Cooperative, Inc., d/b/a Boise Co-op over a severe case of salmonella poisoning he suffered after eating at the Co-op’s deli. Pantoja 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 CVPI1510362. Both law firms are representing other victims in the outbreak, and have previously filed one other lawsuit.

On or about June 4, 2015, Francisco Pantoja purchased a sandwich at the Boise Co-op deli. He ate the sandwich the same day. He began to experience symptoms of Salmonella poisoning the very next day, which included severe abdominal cramps, a fever, headache, and repeated bouts of diarrhea.

Over the next two days, Mr. Pantoja’s symptoms became worse. He continued to suffer from more than a dozen bouts of painful diarrhea through out the course of the morning, daytime, and nighttime. Soon, he became dehydrated.

That Sunday, June 7, Mr. Pantoja was so fatigued and dehydrated that he called his sister to drive him to the emergency department at St. Luke’s Hospital in Fruitland, Idaho. He was treated with intravenous fluids and released. During his stay, he submitted stool and urine samples for testing, and was prescribed antibiotics as well as medication for pain and nausea.

The following day, Mr. Pantoja received a call from a hospital employee who informed him that his stool sample had tested positive for Salmonella. He has since received a call from officials with the Idaho Central District Health Department (CDHD), who questioned him about the food he ate from Boise Co-op.

Mr. Pantoja continued to be acutely ill for at least one week after discharge from the St. Luke’s ER. He continues to experience gastrointestinal difficulties.

On June 15, Boise Co-op posted this message on their Facebook page: “We are voluntarily closing our Deli due to the salmonella outbreak investigation currently underway with the Central District Health Department (CDHD). These cases have now been confirmed as linked to food prepared in our Deli. As an added precaution, any foods purchased from our Deli after June 1, 2015 should be discarded.”

“Unfortunately for the Boise Co-op, who have been very cooperative in trying to prevent anyone else from getting sick, Salmonella spreads like wildfire,” said Bill Marler, co-founder and partner with Marler Clark. “Many deli and fast food restaurants are set up in such a way that they act as a breeding ground for these types of illnesses if the proper preventative measures are not taken. Hopefully the Boise Co-op has learned from their mistake and take better precautions in the future.”

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.