News
Marler Clark has published 5,538 articles about foodborne illness outbreaks and lawsuits.
Current Outbreaks
May 23, 2023
Papa Murphy’s Cookie Dough linked to Salmonella illnesses in Six States - 18 Sick
18 with Salmonella Enteritidis in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Utah and Missouri....
April 29, 2023
All Articles
January 06, 2023 • Publications
Calling for Real Food Safety Reform: Bill Marler for FSIS
Marler first leapt to national prominence as the lead attorney in the famous 1993 Jack in the Box E.coli outbreak. Since that time, Marler has led the charge in protecting the rights of consumers against unsafe practices of major corporations. While dedicated to a high standard of food safety protocols …
January 06, 2023 • Publications
Bill Marler: Taking on E. coli, Big Ag, Raw Milk Conspiracy Theorists and the USDA
In yesterday’s post, I wrote about Bill Marler, the influential, outspoken, high-profile attorney who is representing Stephanie Smith in her $100 million lawsuit against Cargill. Smith, an ex-dance instructor from Cold Spring, Minnesota, almost died after eating a Cargill-produced hamburger, which was laced with E.coli O157:H7. …
January 06, 2023 • Publications
Bill Marler, Attorney, Blogger, and Food Safety Advocate, Talks Turkey (or Spinach, Rather)
When we first heard of Marler Clark, the "food safety law firm," we pictured a dozen ambulance chasers strategically posted outside of establishments that served spinach in large quantities throughout the day. After a few conversations with Bill Marler, however, we realized that our assumption couldn't be further from the …
January 04, 2023 • Publications
There Is So Much More Food Poisoning Than We Thought
But there’s one guy who has arguably won more battles against foodborne illness than anyone. This week’s Bite podcast guest is Bill Marler, a Seattle-based attorney who represents victims of food poisoning. In a landmark 1993 case, Marler sued Jack in the Box over its infamous E. Coli outbreak—and won …
January 04, 2023 • Publications
Food Fights - The Nation's Leading Foodborne Illness Attorney Tells All
Four children died in the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak. Brianne Kiner, Marler’s client, survived, but only after spending six weeks in a coma and six months in the hospital. His efforts resulted in a $15.6 million settlement for Brianne, the largest personal-injury settlement in the history of …
December 30, 2022 • Outbreaks
December 30, 2022 • Publications
7 Things We Learned About Food Safety Oversight From a Foodborne Illness Expert
Bill Marler, a lawyer specializing in food-borne illness, shared his insights and observations on the food safety industry after working in it, or alongside it, for more than 30 years with the Washington Post. …
December 30, 2022 • Publications
December 30, 2022 • Publications
This Food Poisoning Expert Revealed The 6 Things He Refuses To Eat
In early 2016, Marler compiled a list of six foods that he never eats (although, as we’ll explain shortly, he’s taken occasional liberties with one of those foods). The article quickly went viral, which didn’t surprise the attorney. “I get asked a lot about what foods I stay away from,” …
December 29, 2022 • Events & Speaking Engagements
Defense Research Institute (2008)
A paper presented by Marler Clark, food poisoning attorneys, at the May 2005 Defense Research Institute meeting on food liability written by Bill Marler and Dave Babcock. In the paper, Mr. Marler and Mr. Babcock use case studies to provide examples for how legitimate foodborne illness claims can be distinguished …
December 29, 2022 • Publications
Linda Rivera, Hospitalized After Eating Nestle Cookie Dough, Tries to Stay Alive
"People just don't really understand how horrible food-borne illness is," said William Marler, a prominent Seattle-based food-safety lawyer who is representing the Rivera family and 23 other victims in the cookie dough outbreak. "They think food-borne illness is a tummy ache and diarrhea." …
December 15, 2022 • Publications
The Burger That Shattered Her Life
The New York Times | By Michael Moss Stephanie Smith, a children’s dance instructor, thought she had a stomach virus. The aches and cramping were tolerable that first day, and she finished her classes. Then her diarrhea turned bloody. Her kidneys shut down. Seizures knocked her unconscious. The convulsions grew …
December 11, 2022 • Outbreaks
December 11, 2022 • Outbreaks
December 11, 2022 • Case News
December 11, 2022 • Case News
December 11, 2022 • Case News
What Are 3 Common Symptoms of Norovirus?
Although symptoms usually only last one to two days in healthy individuals, norovirus infection can become quite serious in children, the elderly, and immune-compromised individuals. In some cases, severe dehydration, malnutrition, and even death can result from norovirus infection, especially among children and among older and immune-compromised adults in hospitals …
December 11, 2022 • Outbreaks
December 11, 2022 • Case News
The Ultimate Guide to Hepatitis A and Liver Disease
Exposure to the hepatitis A virus can cause an acute infection of the liver that is typically mild and resolves on its own. The symptoms and duration of illness vary a great deal, with many persons showing no symptoms at all. Fever and jaundice are two of the symptoms most …
December 11, 2022 • Case News
What You Should Know About E. coli in Manure
E. coli O157:H7 bacteria and other pathogenic E. coli mostly live in the intestines of cattle, but E. coli bacteria have also been found in the intestines of chickens, deer, sheep, and pigs. A 2003 study on the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in livestock at 29 county and three …
December 11, 2022 • Case News
How Do You Prove Where You Got Food Poisoning?
How does one evaluate a legitimate foodborne illness claim? I rely on four primary tools. All four are important. Combined, they can establish an airtight case. 1. Health Department Investigation of an Outbreak or Incident 2. Prior Health Department Inspections 3. Medical Records 4. Lab Results …
December 11, 2022 • Case News
Is Food Poisoning Considered an Accidental Injury?
Hopefully that is the case, and in the great majority of cases the answer is that food poisoning an accidental injury. However, there have been times over human history where food is intentionally tainted. Clearly, in those instances criminal sanctions are appropriate and warranted. In a commercial sale of food …
December 07, 2022 • Firm News
POISONED: The True Story of the Deadly E. Coli Outbreak That Changed the Way Americans Eat.
At the end of 1992, Jack in the Box was the fifth-largest fast-food chain in the country, courting the market with the Monster Burger and its soon-to-be-immensely-regretted slogan, “So good it’s scary.” The first sign of trouble was a desperately ill girl in San Diego (this was Lauren Rudolph, who …
November 25, 2022 • Case News
What To Do When Your Dog Gets Campylobacter
In dogs, typical symptoms include watery to mucoid diarrhea, straining, abdominal cramping or pain, lethargy, and fever. The diarrhea may last a week or more and often relapses suddenly after the dog appears to have recovered. Many dogs appear unaffected by campylobacteriosis and the condition is often self-limiting, requiring no …
November 25, 2022 • Case News
Can You Sue a Grocery Store for Botulism?
Is everyone who handles an injurious food product potentially liable then? No. Most states’ laws will not hold a retail food seller liable if it simply sold a contaminated food product it did not manufacture unless there is evidence of negligence, some unreasonable act. Suppose you buy a can of …
Food Safety Resources
E. coli Food Poisoning
What is E. coli and how does it cause food poisoning? Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a highly studied, common species of bacteria that belongs …
E. coli O157:H7
E. coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 is the most commonly identified and the most notorious Shiga toxin-producing …
Non-O157 STEC
Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 may be the most notorious serotype of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) …