A lawsuit was filed today against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the company whose Greenwood, Indiana, store was the source of a Salmonella outbreak between May and August, 2006.
The lawsuit was filed by Marler Clark and Greenwood attorney John M Reames on behalf of Ryan Merritt, a Greenwood resident whose son became violently ill and was hospitalized after consuming foods purchased at the Wal-Mart deli.
The attorneys allege that Mr. Merritt purchased ham and cheese from the Wal-Mart deli on August 13. Mr. Merritt’s son, Noah, consumed the ham and cheese in the subsequent days and became ill on August 18. Noah’s symptoms became severe, and he was admitted to the ER at St. Francis Hospital in Indianapolis. While hospitalized, Noah provided a stool sample that tested positive for Salmonella.
An Indiana State Department of Health investigation into the Salmonella outbreak led ISDH to believe that infected food workers who did not exhibit symptoms of Salmonellosis, or who were a-symptomatic carriers of the bacterium, contaminated the deli and bakery foods.
“We’ve seen this before and will see it again,” Marler continued. “Businesses who fail to enforce strict handwashing policies will continue to be the source of outbreaks, and will be held responsible for their failures through the legal system.”