--- title: "Carrabba's has history of violations" date: 2007-12-26T23:00:00-08:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/carrabbas-has-history-of-violations-2" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Case News](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news) / # Carrabba's has history of violations February 12, 2006 Lansing State Journal Alan Miller DELTA TWP. — Carrabba's Italian Grill, where 437 diners became ill after eating there on the weekend of Jan. 28-29, has a history of critical violations, according to inspection reports prepared by the Barry-Eaton District Health Department. The health department confirmed an outbreak of norovirus infection among the restaurant's customers, and the number of reported cases continued to grow for more than a week as diners learned of the association between Carrabba's and their illnesses. Immediately after they learned of the outbreak, health inspectors say they visited the restaurant on Jan. 30, and reported finding six critical violations, and four repeat violations, along with a number of non-critical violations. Following the inspection, the health department prepared a six-page report of violations. Eric Pessel, Environmental Health Director for the Barry-Eaton District Health Department, said, "We want an action plan from Carrabba's to address these things, within ten days." Norovirus, also known as Norwalk virus, causes stomach flu and winter vomiting syndrome. It is a common source of gastric distress, with thousands of cases world-wide. Symptoms of the illness, including nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea, normally appear 24 to 48 hours after ingesting infected food, and typically last from one to two days. Persons infected with the disease may spread the virus to others for 72 hours after they are free of symptoms. The virus is normally spread through "fecal-oral" transmission, say health department officials. Carrabbas' issues Health inspectors say allowing sick employees to handle food and lack of hand washing by people handling food, are at the root of the outbreak at Carrabba's. This is not the first time health inspectors have observed critical violations at Carrabba's, according to inspection reports obtained under the state's Freedom of Information Act. Previous inspection reports have documented numerous violations, many critical, as well as many repeat violations, going back to 2001. Pessel said the most important issue in restaurants is the management. "I wouldn't say just because you have a violation or a group of violations that it's not safe," said Pessel. "What is really important is the management of that facility, and how they handle day-to-day operations." Pessel said the presence of one or more violations found during a single inspection does not mean an establishment is unsafe. "Everybody has a bad day," he said. "But we have to extrapolate that out for six months. Is it just an employee that forgot, or is this something that is more far-reaching in that establishment?" Pessel emphasized that most of the food served to the public is safe, and such outbreaks are rare. "For a food-borne illness to happen, a lot of things have to go wrong," he said. "It's not just ever one single thing." He said there is a range among the establishments the department inspects. "Some people we have to educate a little more than others. And some people do a fine job on their own," he said. Carrabba's is operated by Outback Steakhouses, Inc. which also operates the Outback Steakhouse in Delta Township as well as the soon to be opened Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant, also in Delta Township. An attempt was made to contact management at the Carrabba's restaurant in Delta Township. The person who answered the telephone said the manager could not speak for the company, and referred inquiries to Joe Kadow, a spokesperson for Outback at their headquarters in Tampa, Fla. A message was left for Kadow, but he did not return the call. ### Other Norovirus Lawsuits [240 with Norovirus linked to Sushi Nine](https://marlerclark.com/240-with-norovirus-linked-to-sushi-nine) [Norovirus Outbreak Tied to Illinois Restaurant Monical's Pizza](https://marlerclark.com/norovirus-outbreak-tied-to-illinois-restaurant-monicals-pizza) [CDC now reports Norovirus Oyster Outbreak growing - 192 ill in United States](https://marlerclark.com/norovirus-outbreak-linked-to-raw-oysters-sickens-hundreds) [23 sickened in Norovirus Outbreak linked to Habit Burger Grill in Washington State](https://marlerclark.com/23-sickened-in-norovirus-outbreak-linked-to-habit-burger-grill-in-washington) [Arby's Norovirus Outbreak Sickens Nearly 100 People](https://marlerclark.com/arbys-norovirus-outbreak-sickens-nearly-100-people) [Norovirus Outbreak at Simi Valley Chipotle](https://marlerclark.com/norovirus-outbreak-at-simi-valley-chipotle) [Hartford City Subway Norovirus Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/hartford-city-subway-norovirus-outbreak) [Bob Chinn's Crab House Norovirus Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/bob-chinns-crab-house-norovirus-outbreak) [Valparaiso Jimmy John's Norovirus Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/valparaiso-jimmy-johns-outbreak) ### Lawsuit updates about foodborne illnesses [Reactive Arthritis Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=reactive-arthritis&year=all) [E. coli Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=e-coli&year=all) [Guillain-Barre Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=guillain-barre-syndrome&year=all) [Salmonella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=salmonella&year=all) [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hemolytic-uremic-syndrome&year=all) [Listeria Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=listeria&year=all) [Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=irritable-bowel-syndrome&year=all) [Hepatitis A Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hepatitis-a&year=all) [Norovirus Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=norovirus&year=all) [Botulism Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=botulism&year=all) [Campylobacter Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=campylobacter&year=all) [Shigella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=shigella&year=all) [Cyclospora Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=cyclospora&year=all) ### Lawsuits updates by year [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1998](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1998) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1999](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1999) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2000](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2000) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2001](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2001) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2002](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2002) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2003](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2003) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2004](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2004) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2005](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2005) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2006](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2006) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2007](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2007) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2008](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2008) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2009](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2009) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2010](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2010) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2011](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2011) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2012](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2012) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2013](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2013) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2014](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2014) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2015](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2015) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2016](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2016) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2017](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2017) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2018](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2018) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2019](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2019) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2020](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2020) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2021](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2021) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2022](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2022) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2023](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2023) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2024](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2024) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2025](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2025) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2026](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2026) ##### Get Help #### Affected by an outbreak or recall? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [Norovirus Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/about-norwalk) What is Norovirus? When someone talks about having “the stomach flu,” they are probably describing acute-onset gastroenteritis caused by one of the noroviruses, which are members of the “calcivirus” family... ###### [Symptoms and Risks of Norovirus Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-symptoms-risks) Norovirus causes a relatively short, intense illness characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. The most common symptoms are sudden onset of vomiting and watery diarrhea, although stomach cramps... ###### [How is Norovirus Infection Diagnosed?](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-diagnosis) Norovirus can be detected in an infected person’s stool or vomit through laboratory testing. Diagnosis of norovirus illness is based on the combination of symptoms, particularly the prominence of vomiting... ###### [Treatment for Norovirus Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-treatment) Norovirus typically resolves without treatment; however, dehydration is a concern. Collecting a stool sample and using molecular methods to find viral RNA is the preferred method to test for norovirus... ###### [Preventing Norovirus Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-prevention) Norovirus infection can be prevented through attention to proper sanitation and cooking procedures. The role of food handlers has been documented substantially, highlighting that keeping ill food handlers out of... ##### Outbreak Database #### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)