--- title: Dole and Natural Selections Spinach E. coli Lawsuits date: 2007-08-13T14:56:55-07:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/dole-and-natural-selections-spinach-e-coli-litigation" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Case News](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news) / # Dole and Natural Selections Spinach E. coli Lawsuits On September 14, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that a nationwide E. coli O157:H7outbreak had been associated with the consumption of baby spinach. Multiple spinach recalls ensued, but ultimately only Dole baby spinach products were associated with illness. On September 19, 2006, FDA announced that all spinach implicated in the outbreak had been traced back to a processing facility operated by Natural Selection Foods of San Juan Bautista, California, a company located in the Salinas Valley.As of October 12, 2006, FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had confirmed 205 E. coli illnesses associated with the outbreak, including thirty-one cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome, 104 hospitalizations, and four deaths. Victims of the E. coli outbreak were identified in 26 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Wisconsin was the state hardest-hit in the outbreak, with 49 confirmed cases. Canada reported one confirmed case. A joint traceback by FDA and the State of California revealed that four spinach fields were the possible source of the E. coli contamination. The outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from cattle fields near the implicated spinach fields, and from a wild boar that was killed in one of the fields. The investigation into how the outbreak originated is ongoing. The E. coli lawyers at Marler Clark represented 93 victims of the E. coli outbreak, and filed lawsuits on behalf of individuals from Maryland, Michigan, Oregon, Nebraska, New York, Utah, and Wisconsin. In the spring of 2007 Marler Clark resolved cases on behalf of three families whose elderly family members died after eating Dole spinach. The remaining cases, including those of more than 30 people who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, were resolved in 2008 and 2009. > PRESS RELEASES: > > [Dole sued by Oregon *E. coli* victim](http://www.marlerclark.com/news/spinach-ecoli001.htm "Dole sued by Oregon E. coli victim") > > [Second lawsuit filed by victims of *E. coli* outbreak traced to spinach](http://www.marlerclark.com/news/spinach-ecoli002.htm "Second lawsuit filed by victims of E. coli outbreak traced to spinach") > > [Utah child sues California spinach producer and manufacturer over *E. coli* illness](http://www.marlerclark.com/news/spinach-ecoli003.htm "Utah child sues California spinach producer and manufacturer over E. coli illness") > > [*E. coli* attorney calls on spinach industry to pay victims' medical bills](http://www.marlerclark.com/news/spinach-ecoli005.htm "E. coli attorney calls on spinach industry to pay victims' medical bills") > > [Family of Nebraska spinach *E. coli* victim files suit](http://www.marlerclark.com/news/spinach-ecoli006.htm "Family of Nebraska spinach E. coli victim files suit") > > [Wisconsin Woman Severely Sickened by E. coli in Spinach Forced to Sue](http://www.marlerclark.com/press_releases/view/wisconsin-woman-severely-sickened-by-e.-coli-in-spinach-forced-to-sue "Wisconsin Woman Severely Sickened by E. coli in Spinach Forced to Sue") More about the [Dole and Natural Selections *E. coli* outbreak](http://www.about-ecoli.com/ecoli_outbreaks/view/dole-and-natural-selections-spinach-e-coli-outbreak/ "Dole and Natural Selections E. coli outbreak") can be found on the Marler Clark-sponsored site about *E. coli*. ### Other E. coli Lawsuits [Raw Farms linked to another Raw Milk Cheese E.coli Outbreak - 9 People sickened - Company refuses to recall product](https://marlerclark.com/raw-farms-linked-to-another-raw-milk-cheese-e-coli-outbreak-7-people-sickened) [10 with E. coli linked to Cheese](https://marlerclark.com/3-with-e-coli-linked-to-cheese) 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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 ###### [E. coli Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/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 to the family Enterobacteriaceae, so... ###### [E. coli O157:H7](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-o157h7) 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 E. coli (STEC) serotype in... ###### [Non-O157 STEC](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/non-o157-stec) Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. 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[ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)