--- title: "38 Sick, No Names Released: Lawsuit Ties E. coli Outbreak to Trader Joe’s Chicken Wraps" date: 2026-11-03T14:53:00-08:00 author: Julie Dueck canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/38-sick-no-names-released-lawsuit-ties-e-coli-outbreak-to-trader-joes-chicken-wraps" section: Litigation Landing Pages --- [Foodborne Illnesses](/foodborne-illnesses) / [E. coli](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli) / # 38 Sick, No Names Released: Lawsuit Ties E. coli Outbreak to Trader Joe’s Chicken Wraps Marler Clark has filed a lawsuit against Trader Joe’s Company in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Case No. 2:26-cv-12017). The suit was filed on behalf of two women who were hospitalized with *E. coli* O157:H7 infections after eating the chain’s Tarragon Chicken Salad Wraps. Gayle Gottlieb of Pembroke, North Carolina, and Meaghan Egan Bright of Somerville, Massachusetts, bought the wraps a day apart in late August at Trader Joe’s stores in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Allston, Massachusetts. Within days, both were in emergency rooms with bloody diarrhea. The FDA lists 38 illnesses in an active multistate outbreak and has identified the source only as “ready-to-eat multi-ingredient chicken wraps.” Because the USDA-regulated wraps were pulled from shelves before the outbreak link was confirmed, there has been no recall and no public health alert. Neither agency has named the manufacturer, brand, retailer, or the states where people became ill. Ms. Gottlieb ate the first of three wraps on August 27. By August 30 she was at UNC Southeastern Hospital, where her stool tested positive for Shiga toxin-producing *E. coli* O157. She was sent home, returned that night severely dehydrated, and was taken by ambulance to Scotland Memorial Hospital. North Carolina health officials classified her as a confirmed case in a multistate outbreak, assigned CDC cluster code 2609MLEXH-2, and recorded the source of her illness as a “wrap from Trader Joe’s.” Ms. Bright ate her wrap the day she bought it, August 24, and became ill three days later. Cambridge Health Alliance discharged her on her first visit. When the vomiting and bloody diarrhea continued, she called an ambulance and was hospitalized at Massachusetts General Hospital from August 31 to September 6. Her doctors warned her she was at risk of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a kidney-failure complication of the infection. Somerville and Massachusetts health officials told her she was part of the outbreak. The complaint asserts claims for strict product liability, negligence, negligence per se, and breach of implied warranty, and it demands a jury trial. It argues that two strangers in different states who bought the same named product the same week, and then developed lab-confirmed infections within the known incubation period, is strong evidence of a common source. Anyone who ate a ready-to-eat chicken wrap in late August or September and then developed diarrhea, especially bloody diarrhea, should see a doctor and ask for a stool test. Antibiotics and anti-diarrheal medicines can raise the risk of HUS in *E. coli* O157:H7 infections. ## Contact the Marler Clark E. coli Attorneys [Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm](http://www.marlerclark.com/), is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of E. coli outbreaks and [hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)](http://www.about-hus.com/). The [E. coli lawyers of Marler Clark](http://www.marlerclark.com/practice_areas/view/e-coli-o157h7-outbreak-litigation) have represented thousands of victims of E. coli and other foodborne illness infections and have recovered over $700 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our E. coli lawyers have litigated E. coli and HUS cases stemming from outbreaks traced to ground beef, raw milk, lettuce, spinach, sprouts, and other food products. The law firm has brought E. coli lawsuits against such companies as Jack in the Box, Dole, ConAgra, Cargill, and Jimmy John’s. We have proudly represented such victims as [Brianne Kiner](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/health/28excerpt.html), [Stephanie Smith](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/health/04meat.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all) and [Linda Rivera](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/31/AR2009083103922.html). If you or a family member became ill with an E. coli infection after consuming contaminated food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, you can contact the Marler Clark E. coli attorneys for a free case evaluation. You can fill out the contact form or call toll-free at 800-884-9840. There is no cost to you. ### E. coli news and updates November 08, 2022 ###### [16 days hospitalized: Summer E. Coli outbreak linked to Wendy's takes a toll on Michiganders](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/16-days-hospitalized-summer-e-coli-outbreak-linked-to-wendys-takes-a-toll-on-michiganders) The Marler Clark, E. coli attorneys represent 48 victims of the Wendy's E. coli outbreak. 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View all ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) ## All E. coli Resources [###### E. coli Food Poisoning ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-food-poisoning) [###### E. coli O157:H7 ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-o157h7) [###### Non-O157 STEC ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/non-o157-stec) [###### Sources of E. coli ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/sources-of-e-coli) [###### Transmission of and Infection with E. coli ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/transmission-of-and-infection-with-e-coli) [###### Symptoms of E. coli infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/symptoms-of-e-coli-infection) [###### Complications of E. coli infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/complications-of-e-coli-infection) [###### Treatment for E. coli infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/treatment-for-e-coli-infection) [###### How is E. coli Infection Diagnosed? ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/how-is-e-coli-infection-diagnosed) [###### Preventing E. coli Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/preventing-e-coli-infection) [###### E. coli Outbreaks ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-outbreaks) [###### Real Life Impacts of E. coli Infection and HUS ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/real-life-impacts-of-e-coli-infection-and-hus) [###### E. coli Recalls ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-recalls) [###### References ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/references) ### Other foodborne illnesses [E. coli](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli) [Salmonella](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella) [Listeria](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria) [Hepatitis A](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/hepatitis-a) [Reactive Arthritis](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/reactive-arthritis) [Guillain-Barre Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/guillain-barre-syndrome) [Irritable Bowel Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/irritable-bowel-syndrome) [Norovirus](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus) [Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism) [Campylobacter](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter) [Shigella](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella) [Cyclospora](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/cyclospora) [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/hemolytic-uremic-syndrome)