News
Marler Clark has published 5,543 articles about foodborne illness outbreaks and lawsuits.
Current Outbreaks
June 04, 2023
Los Cabos San Lucas Mexican Grill Shigella Outbreak - 100 Sick
As the Texas Department of Health has reported, there is a Shigella Outbreak in Lavaca County that has sickened nearly 100. It appears to be linked to a local food...
All Articles
February 26, 2023 • Firm News
Seattle Times: 30 years after the deadly E. coli outbreak, a Seattle attorney still fights for food safety
Bill Marler never expected to build a career out of bad food. But 30 years later, he’s still at it. From salmonella-tainted cantaloupe to listeria-laced lunchmeat, Marler Clark — which bills itself as The Food Safety Law Firm — has represented victims of every major foodborne illness outbreak in the United States. …
February 26, 2023 • Firm News
Seattle Times: Seattle food-safety attorney Bill Marler does not eat these foods – do you?
Seattle Times: Seattle food-safety attorney Bill Marler does not eat these foods – do you? …
January 31, 2023 • Events & Speaking Engagements
Food Law Student Leadership Summit, Arkansas School of Law (2020)
Rep. Chellie Pingree and Bill Marler served as keynote and featured speakers at the The University of Arkansas Food Law Student Leadership Summit. This event included 63 students from 42 law schools and 27 academic, professional and governmental experts Feb. 28-March 1 for the fifth annual Food Law Student …
January 31, 2023 • Publications
For Personal-Injury Lawyer, Michael Pollan’s Book Is Worth Fighting For
Among the things that Bill Marler feels passionately about are Washington State University (his alma mater), food safety and negotiation. So after he heard about a dustup on campus over the cancellation of a program requiring all freshmen to read the same book, Michael Pollan’s double-fisted examination of agribusiness, “The …
January 23, 2023 • Firm News
Association of Food and Drug Officials - 16 People Who Have Shaped the Last 30 Years of Food Safety
In the 30 years since the Jack in the Box outbreak, food safety has come a long way. Here are some of the people who have shaped it. …
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 …
Food Safety Resources
Shigella Food Poisoning
What is Shigella and how does it cause food poisoning? Recognized worldwide as the most common cause of dysentery, the Shiga bacillus—or Shigella—is a facultatively …
The Incidence of Shigella Infection
How common are Shigella infections and Shigella outbreaks? The number of shigellosis cases reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has …
The Prevalence of Shigella in Food and Elsewhere
Large Shigella outbreaks have been traced to contaminated food and water. The CDC estimates that 450,000 to 500,000 total cases of shigellosis occur in the …