CHICAGO, IL—Los Burritos Mexicanos was sued yesterday by a man who alleges he fell ill with an E. coli infection and was hospitalized after eating food prepared at the restaurant in June. The lawsuit is the second filed against the restaurant in DuPage County Circuit Court by Seattle-based Marler Clark, the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of foodborne illness, and Chicago-based Newland & Newland.
In the lawsuit, plaintiff Quinten Hayley alleges he fell ill with an E. coli infection after eating at Los Burritos Mexicanos on June 7, 2013. Mr. Hayley alleges that he fell ill with symptoms of E. coli infection, including bloody diarrhea and severe abdominal cramps, on June 10 and was admitted to the hospital after a visit to the Emergency Room on June 11. Court documents state that Mr. Hayley was hospitalized for four days and has continued to experience symptoms of E. coli infection since being discharged on June 14. The complaint states that a stool specimen submitted while the plaintiff was hospitalized tested positive for E. coli O157:H7.
DuPage County Health Department spokesman Jason Gerwig told the Chicago Tribune that at least 31 confirmed and probable cases were part of the E. coli outbreak, including 7 who were hospitalized and later released.
BACKGROUND: Marler Clark has represented thousands of victims of foodborne illness in the 20 years since the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak. The law firm has secured over $600,000,000 on behalf of victims of E. coli, Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks. Together with Newland & Newland, the law firm has represented victims of several Chicago-area foodborne illness outbreaks.