St. Louis – Marler Clark, the nation’s leading law firm dedicated to representing victims of foodborne illness, along with Missouri law firm Aleshire Robb & Sivils, has been filed an E. coli lawsuit today against grocery chain Schnucks Supermarkets and Oklahoma-based romaine lettuce distributor Vaughan Foods. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a St. Louis man who was hospitalized with an E. coli O157:H7 and is the second filed by Marler Clark [1].
According to a complaint filed in St. Louis County Circuit Court (#11SL-CC05111), 61-year old Charles Meyer ate romaine lettuce from a Cool Valley, Missouri Schnucks location on several occasions prior to October 24, 2011 when he began experiencing painful gastrointestinal symptoms indicative of an E. coli infection including bloody diarrhea. The symptoms persisted and Mr. Meyer visited the doctor’s office on October 26 where he was diagnosed with food poisoning and sent to the emergency room for treatment. While in the ER, Mr. Meyer gave a stool sample which ultimately tested positive for a strain of E. coli associated with an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce sold at Schnucks supermarkets. He was then admitted to St. John’s Mercy Hospital where he was treated until discharged on October 30.
“All parties of the food supply chain have a public duty to provide only food that is safe to eat and free of foodborne pathogens like E. coli. No Exceptions,” said Marler Clark Managing Partner William Marler. “We think it is only right that those responsible for an outbreak take care of those affected by it.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 60 E. coli illnesses in 10 states have been linked to romaine lettuce used in salad bars in various Schnucks stores. The romaine lettuce was also served at universities in Minnesota and Missouri. Through its own investigation, Marler Clark has learned that Vaughan Foods distributed the romaine lettuce to Schnucks.
MARLER CLARK is the foremost law firmed dedicated solely to representing victims of foodborne illness. The law firm’s E. coli lawyers have unparalleled experience and have recovered over $600,000,000 for victims of foodborne illness since 1993. To speak with an attorney, or if you are a member of the media and would like to view a copy of the complaint, contact Cody Moore at 1-206-407-2200 or cmoore@marlerclark.com.
[1] St. Louis County Circuit Court#IISL-CC04859