In March of 1998, the Skagit County Health Department (SCHD) received a number of reports that residents had been diagnosed with hepatitis A and began an investigation into what appeared to be a hepatitis A outbreak. During its investigation into the outbreak’s source, SCHD determined that the outbreak had occurred among patrons of the McDonald’s restaurant located on Riverside Drive in Mt. Vernon, Washington, who had eaten at the restaurant in mid-February, 1998. Through its investigation, SCHD learned that an assistant manager at the McDonald’s had worked while infected with hepatitis A and had contaminated food.
Marler Clark represented a woman who became severely ill with hepatitis A after eating food prepared at the Mount Vernon McDonald’s restaurant and was hospitalized several times as a result of her infection in a claim against McDonald’s. Her claim was resolved in 2000.