--- title: "First Salmonella lawsuit filed by Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm" date: 2024-07-11T08:20:00-07:00 author: Julie Dueck canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/marler-clark-files-cucumber-lawsuit" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Press Releases](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/press-releases) / # First Salmonella lawsuit filed by Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm **Cucumber Outbreak Sickens 449, hospitalizes 125 in 31 States** (Palm Beach, FL) The[ *Salmonella* lawyers of Marler Clark](https://marlerclark.com/) have filed a lawsuit on behalf of Melissa Milligan against Fresh Start Produce, Inc. and Bedner Growers, Inc., in the *Salmonella* outbreak linked to cucumbers. The lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of Palm Beach, Florida in the civil division, by local counsel, the Chaikin law firm, Complaint #202246846 (see attached copy below). Ms. Milligan purchased cucumbers at Publix Super Markets in St. Augustine, Florida. She consumed the cucumbers over a two-week period and on June 10, 2024, began experiencing symptoms consistent with a *Salmonella* infection, including nausea, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache and a urinary tract infection. Several days later, Ms. Milligan sought medical care for an evaluation of her symptoms. However, despite anti-diarrheal medication, her symptoms worsened. A second visit to the doctor resulted in testing and a stool and urine sample which confirmed a diagnosis of *Salmonella* infection verging on severe. Ms. Mulligan is recovering from her *Salmonella* infection. *“At nearly 450 sickened, this is one of the largest Salmonella outbreaks we have seen recently, and health authorities are still counting,” stated Bill Marler, Marler Clark food safety attorney.* **The Cucumber Outbreak** - As of July 2, 2024, a total of 449 people infected with one of the outbreak strains of *Salmonella* Africana and *Salmonella* Braenderup have been reported from 31 states and the District of Columbia. - Illnesses started on dates ranging from March 11, 2024 to June 4, 2024. In this outbreak, 125 have been hospitalized with no deaths reported. - Originally reported as two separate outbreaks, CDC and FDA combined these two outbreak investigations as they shared several similarities. - Laboratory, epidemiological, and traceback data have determined that cucumbers grown by Defendant, Bedner Growers, Inc., are the source of illnesses in this outbreak. *“Although it is somewhat unusual to have two or more Salmonella serotypes in an outbreak, it has happened before,” said Bill Marler, Marler Clark food safety attorney. “Having multiple serotypes likely means that the production area was highly contaminated,” added Marler**.*** **Public Health Investigation** As part of the investigation, the FDA conducted an onsite inspection at Bedner Growers and collected water and soil samples. *Salmonella* Braenderup was detected in samples of untreated canal water used by Bedner Growers. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis determined that the *Salmonella* found in the water used by Bedner Growers is a match to a strain of *Salmonella* Braenderup that is causing some of the illnesses in this outbreak. Additional types of *Salmonella* were detected in both the soil and water samples collected at Bedner Growers. **The Food Safety Law Firm** Since 1993 [Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm](http://www.marlerclark.com/), has been the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on Foodborne illness litigation. The[ *Salmonella* lawyers of Marler Clark](https://salmonellalitigation.com/) have represented thousands of victims of *Salmonella* and other foodborne illness in outbreaks. Marler Clark’s work as lawyers and food safety advocates is highlighted in the Netflix Documentary “Poisoned” now streaming. See: “Poisoned”: The Dirty Truth About Your Food | Official Trailer | Netflix [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZcyMgdWmPg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZcyMgdWmPg "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZcyMgdWmPg"). **Contact** Marler Clark, Inc., PS Bill Marler 1-206-346-1890 [Milligan Complaint Filed (pdf)](https://holistic-kudu.files.svdcdn.com/production/Milligan-Complaint-Filed.pdf?dm=1720649905) ### Other Salmonella Lawsuits [64 with Salmonella tied to Oysters](https://marlerclark.com/64-with-salmonella-tied-to-oysters) [Vega Farms Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 63](https://marlerclark.com/vega-farms-salmonella-outbreak-sickens-63) [Green Supplement causes Salmonella Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/green-supplement-causes-salmonella-outbreak) [Salmonella Outbreak tied to Metabolic Meals](https://marlerclark.com/salmonella-outbreak-tied-to-metabolic-meals) [Kentucky Salmonella outbreak linked to Ramsey’s Diners and Missy’s 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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 ###### [Salmonella Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/about-salmonella) What is Salmonella and how does it cause food poisoning? The term Salmonella refers to a specific group of gram-negative bacteria with the potential to cause gastrointestinal distress and other... ###### [The Incidence of Salmonella Infections](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/the-incidence-of-salmonella-infections) Typhoidal Salmonella Salmonella enterica serotypes Typhi, Sendai, and Paratyphi A, B, or C are found exclusively in humans. These serotypes, collectively referred to as typhoidal Salmonella, cause enteric fever (also... ###### [The Prevalence of Salmonella in Food and Elsewhere](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/the-prevalence-of-salmonella-in-food-and-elsewhere) Most Salmonella infections are caused by eating contaminated food. One study found that 87% of all confirmed cases of Salmonella are foodborne. Foods of animal origin, including meat, poultry, eggs... ###### [Transmission of Salmonella Bacteria](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/transmission-of-salmonella-bacteria) In the past two decades, consumption of produce, especially sprouts, tomatoes, fruits, leafy greens, nuts, and nut butters, has been associated with Salmonella illnesses. The surface of fruits and vegetables... ###### [Symptoms of Salmonella Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/salmonella-symptoms-risks) Symptoms of Salmonella infection include painful abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and fever. Salmonella infections can have a broad range of illness, from no symptoms to severe illness. The most common clinical... ##### 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)