Marler Blog

Providing Insight on Food Poisoning Outbreaks & Litigation

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By: Marler Clark LLP, PS

Latest from Marler Blog - Page 2

Now that is a mouthful of some pathogens. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today recommended that consumers avoid eating raw oysters harvested from Estero El Cardon in Baja California Sur, Mexico, because they are linked to an outbreak of gastrointestinal illnesses in California. In California, 12 individuals have reported illness in February, March, and April after consuming raw oysters sold by restaurants and retailers located in Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara and San…
This year marks the 25th anniversary of a massive E. coli outbreak, which hit 73 Jack in the Box restaurants in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and California; sickened 700 people; sent 171 to the hospital; and killed four. The anniversary is a somber but noteworthy milestone for accomplished food safety attorney Bill Marler ’87. “It’s the 25th anniversary of the outbreak, but it’s also the 20th anniversary of our law firm,” he said. Seattle-based Marler Clark,…
It is said that it is always hard to get the first olive out of the jar and it is the same in settlements.  It was hard fought, but the resolutions of the cases were fair and my hope is that these corporate defendants and their insurers see that it is in everyone’s best interest to take care of customers who were sickened by their product sooner rather than later. Although litigation is always my…
The CDC warns: Place chicken in a disposable bag before putting in your shopping cart or refrigerator to prevent raw juices from getting onto other foods. Wash hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling chicken. Do not wash raw chicken. During washing, chicken juices can spread in the kitchen and contaminate other foods, utensils, and countertops. Use a separate cutting board for raw chicken. Never place cooked food or…
Summary Public Health investigated an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) associated with I Love Sushi and Café Mario at Nintendo of America campus in Redmond. Café Mario is operated by Sodexo and is not open to the public. I Love Sushi is a food establishment that operates out of Café Mario once a week. This outbreak appears to be over. After a thorough investigation, we do not have enough evidence to connect I…
Four people were killed Saturday when part of a crane fell from the construction site of a future Google building. Investigating what caused a crane to collapse in downtown Seattle Saturday, killing four people and injuring four others, might take six months to a year. The Washington state Department of Labor and Industries will head the investigation into GLY Construction, subcontractors Northwest Tower Crane and Omega Morgan, and Morrow Equipment Company. In November 2006, King 5…
I will be in lovely Minneapolis for the coming week meeting with defense counsel and the insurers for the manufacturers of E. coli O26-tainted ground beef, Salmonella-tainted cut fruit and E. coli O157:H7-tainted romaine lettuce who sickened dozens in 2018.  I hear the weather in Minnesota may still have some snow in it, but heck, it also will be my birthday Friday. Here is the case lineup: The Spring 2018 E. coli O157:H7 Romaine Lettuce…
What we know is that illnesses began March 1 and it is now almost May 1 – why did it take so long to figure out that 177 people with E. coli O103 were linked to ground beef? Why do we do not yet know the original source of the contamination?  Why is the public not being told the location where known illnesses occurred? Finally, are more people going to get sick? What we also…
On the anniversary of my 5,000th blog post (I’m n0w at 6388) I wrote: In 2002, I wrote an Op-ed for the Denver Post entitled: “Put me out of business. Please.” For this trial lawyer, E. coli has been a successful practice – and a heart-breaking one. I’m tired of visiting with horribly sick kids who did not have to be sick in the first place. I’m outraged with a food industry that allows E.…
As of April 25, 2019, 177 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O103 have been reported from 10 states. CDC is reporting the 177 illnesses that the PulseNet laboratory network has confirmed are part of this outbreak. States are investigating additional illnesses that might be a part of this outbreak. Illnesses started on dates from March 1, 2019, to April 14, 2019. Ill people range in age from less than 1 year to 84 years, with a…