HOUSTON, TX—Nine plaintiffs who claim they fell ill with Salmonella infections after eating contaminated food purchased from a Houston-area Iguana Joe’s were added to a lawsuit against the restaurant late last week.
The original lawsuit was filed last July by Seattle-based Marler Clark and Houston attorney John Ramsey on behalf of a couple who allege their child fell ill with a Salmonella infection during an outbreak that originated at the restaurant. According to the complaint, Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services linked at least a dozen Salmonella cases to Iguana Joe’s in June of 2013. The public health agency allegedly found multiple violations at the restaurant during its Salmonella outbreak investigation.
“This outbreak didn’t just impact my clients. It impacted the entire Atascocita community,” said attorney William Marler, noting that “Families sickened with food poisoning from Iguana Joe’s” was number six on the Atascocita Observer’s list of Top Ten Stories of 2013.
Plaintiffs allege that food product sold by Iguana Joe’s was defective and unreasonably dangerous and that it caused their illnesses and damages. In the complaint, they ask the Court to compensate them for physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, medical expenses, lost wages and earning capacity and for physical impairment.
“Restaurants owe a duty to their customers to serve safe food, period.” Marler continued. “We plan to prove that Iguana Joe’s failed to fulfill this duty and injured my clients because of it.”
BACKGROUND: Marler Clark is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of foodborne illness. The law firm has represented thousands of victims of Salmonella, E. coli and other foodborne illness outbreaks traced to food items such as tomatoes, spinach, ground beef and cantaloupe. Marler Clark and John Ramsay have together litigated dozens of foodborne illness cases.