Family Infected by E. coli Tainted Romaine Lettuce Sues Papa Murphy's Restaurant
SOLANO COUNTY, Calif., May 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A Vallejo, CA woman and her family have filed one of the first California lawsuits stemming from a serious nationwide E. coli outbreak linked to Romaine lettuce.
The complaint filed last week in Solano County Superior Court, claims 27-year-old LaTyra Hunter, her 14-year-old sister and her 3-year-old daughter ate E. coli tainted lettuce from a Papa Murphy's restaurant. The lawsuit names Papa Murphy's and Shamrock Foods Company, which sold the lettuce to the restaurant.
The family shared a chicken Caesar salad on April 8, 2018 from the Papa Murphy's in American Canyon, CA. Just days later, all three developed diarrhea, began vomiting, had to be taken to the emergency room and were diagnosed with E. coli.
On April 17, the three-year-old was hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition, and required multiple blood transfusions. She faces an uncertain medical future as a result of the E. coli infection.
"The scary thing about this outbreak is that, as a consumer, there's nothing you can do to tell whether the Romaine lettuce that you are eating is safe. You can't taste, smell, or see E. coli. Because lettuce that is contaminated with E. coli bacteria looks, smells, and tastes just like any other lettuce. This is why it is so important that the companies who make and sell our food ensure that it is safe before they sell it to customers," said food safety attorney Jory Lange.
On April 13, the CDC announced a multi-state outbreak of E. coli, which was linked to the consumption of romaine lettuce products produced in the Yuma, Arizona growing region. According to the CDC, as of May 9, 149 people were infected with the outbreak strain from 29 states. Of those, 64 were hospitalized and 17 developed HUS (kidney failure). And, so far, one person in California has died.
"Each of these young ladies faced a severe reaction to this tainted lettuce and could have died from their illnesses, especially the three-year-old girl," said plaintiff attorney Daniel Balaban. "To have their health and lives put in jeopardy because of unsanitary conditions and a lack of proper standards by companies that make their money from selling food is unthinkable. How many other lives are they putting at risk?"
About the legal team:
Attorney Jory Lange with The Lange Law Firm, PLLC is one of the nation's leading food safety lawyers. Mr. Lange has helped families from California to Florida, the Mid-Atlantic to the Midwest, and in states across the nation. You can learn more about Jory Lange at MakeFoodSafe.com.
Daniel Balaban is a plaintiff's lawyer with the Brentwood, CA based law firm Balaban | Spielberger. Mr. Balaban's practice is focused on fighting for justice against corporations, pharmaceutical giants, government entities, big auto makers, medical device manufacturers, food companies, trucking outfits and medical organizations. His efforts have recovered over a hundred million dollars for victims of wrongdoing.
Read the complaint:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tqMBn0ZBLTcyB9WeT3il1rXYpmKnXN2F/view?usp=sharing
SOURCE The Lange Law Firm, PLLC
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