William Marler, national expert in food borne illness litigation and accomplished personal injury lawyer, will speak at the University of Minnesota College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences on Tuesday, May 6 at 3:00 PM. He is a guest lecturer in the Food: Safety, Risk, and Technology class taught by distinguished teaching professor Dr. Ted Labuza.
Mr. Marler travels widely to address industry, government, and consumer groups in an effort to improve food safety nationwide. He will be speaking to the class on the litigation aspects of food safety, including when a person can sue for dangerous or defective goods, federal vs. state litigation, how he chooses cases to take on, and what guidance he is able to give industry on avoiding food borne illness outbreaks. This is the second time he has traveled to the Twin Cities to address the students of Dr. Labuza’s class. “Ted Labuza is a fellow advocate of a safe food supply, and I want to support his efforts to educate the next generation about food safety.” said Marler from his home in Seattle, Washington.
Mr. Marler and his firm, Marler Clark, are involved in food borne illness cases around the country and represent a number of Minnesotans who have become ill from eating contaminated food. Several Salmonella outbreaks have infected Minnesota residents, including ConAgra’s Banquet Pot Pies, Veggie Booty snacks, and food consumed at a Rochester Quiznos. In addition, the firm represents Minnesotans who have been infected with E. coli 0157:H7—a potentially deadly form of the bacteria—in cases against Dole lettuce, Nebraska Beef, PM Beef Holdings, AFG/Supervalu, Cargill meat products, as well as Taco John’s and China Buffet restaurants.
The class is being held Tuesday, May 6 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition building on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota, Room 136A.