OFT Food Safety Lawyers File First Lawsuit In Red Onions Salmonella Outbreak

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers filed the first Oregon lawsuit in the multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to red onions produced by Thomson International, Inc. and sold throughout the United States and Canada. The lawsuit was filed in Oregon federal court (File No. 20-cv-1284) on August 3, 2020, on behalf of a 36-year-old Oregon man who suffered a harrowing illness and hospitalization.

Advanced genetic testing known as Whole Genome Sequencing revealed that the Plaintiff in the case contracted outbreak strain of Salmonella, according to the Complaint. To date, the Centers for Disease Control has identified 396 confirmed Salmonella Newport illnesses in 34 states that were caused by contaminated onions. Oregon was one of the hardest hit states with 71 confirmed illnesses. 

In response to the public health investigation, Thomson International, Inc. of Bakersfield, California initiated a nationwide recall of red, yellow, white, and sweet onions distributed to wholesalers, restaurants and grocery stores.

OFT Food Safety Lawyer Ryan Osterholm praised the public health testing that revealed the source of the outbreak:

Public health infrastructure is critically important to protecting our families from dangerous food. The WGS testing performed on my client and the other 395 people in this outbreak allowed CDC, FDA and state health departments to get this product off the shelves and quite literally save lives. It is even more important to have a robust testing system when the outbreak is caused by a product like red onions which is often mixed in with other produce items. 

Osterholm also noted that the outbreak-causing strain of Salmonella has proven to be particularly dangerous. "As of today, CDC reports 59 hospitalizations from red onions.  I have talked to people with kidney damage, auto-immune neurological symptoms, and truly horrible blood infections.  This is not just the stomach flu," Osterholm said. 

The Plaintiff in the Oregon case reported purchasing red onions at both a Fred Meyer grocery store and at Wal-Mart. Within days he experienced debilitating stomach cramps, bloody stool and was hospitalized. 

With over 4 decades of experience, the lawyers at OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers have recovered millions on behalf of food poisoning victims. OFT is one of the largest national law firms committed to representing food poisoning victims.  If you have been affected by this outbreak, contact OFT Law for a free consultation today. Call or text 888-828-7087 or email [email protected].

SOURCE OFT Law PLLC