November 3, 2003
SAN DIEGO—A lawsuit was filed in San Diego County Superior Court today on behalf of Matt and Courtney Hauer and their son, six-year-old Zachary Hauer, a Creekside Elementary School student who became ill with an E. coli O157:H7 infection after eating contaminated lettuce in his school lunch. The lawsuit was filed against Gold Coast Produce and Family Tree Produce, companies that supplied the E. coli-contaminated lettuce to the school district through the National School Lunch Program.
The lawsuit, filed by Marler Clark, the Seattle law firm nationally recognized for its successful representation of victims of foodborne illness, seeks damages related to Zachary’s E. coli infection, including medical and medical-related expenses, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. It also asks that the court compensate Matt and Courtney Hauer for lost wages and other damages that occurred as a direct result of Zachary’s illness.
"The negligence of Gold Coast and Family Tree unnecessarily put Zachary and other children in a life-threatening situation,” said attorney William Marler. “It is regrettable that food purchased by the National School Lunch Program, which was designed to provide children a nutritious, wholesome lunch, endangered Zachary and other kids’ health. Children are more vulnerable to bacterial illnesses such as E. coli than the rest of the population, and the lettuce producers should have taken extra precautions, knowing their product was going to be delivered to schools.”
Continue reading Lawsuit filed on behalf of Creekside Elementary student sick with E. coli on the Marler Clark website.