--- title: "Marler Clark, the leading foodborne illness attorneys in the United States" date: 2026-05-23T14:58:00-07:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/marler-clark-rhe-leading-foodborne-illness-attorneys-in-the-united-states" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Firm News](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/firm-news) / # Marler Clark, the leading foodborne illness attorneys in the United States The Jack in the Box Outbreak: Where It All Began (1993) After a pandemic, three decades of mass shootings, and countless food recalls, it is hard to appreciate the gut punch in 1993, when children started dying and falling ill from the simple act of eating a hamburger. Children began showing up at Western Washington emergency rooms in early January 1993, desperately sick with internal bleeding, seizures, and kidneys on the verge of collapse. Investigators zeroed in on a common denominator: undercooked hamburgers from Jack in the Box restaurants. Like most people back then, Seattle attorney Bill Marler had never heard of the oddly named strain of bacteria — E. coli O157:H7 — identified as the culprit. He spent hours cramming in the University of Washington medical school library before filing one of the first lawsuits. The massive 1993 E. coli outbreak linked to Jack in the Box burgers was a turning point for both food safety in the United States and young attorney Bill Marler. The experience of representing 9-year-old victim Brianne Kiner against the fast-food giant inspired Marler to focus his fledgling law career on foodborne illness. Nine-year-old Brianne Kiner spent 40 days in a coma, and doctors didn't expect her to survive. Marler represented the family and won a **$15.6 million settlement** — a state record at the time. Driving the 1994 Adulterant Designation for E. coli O157 After the Jack in the Box litigation exposed how the industry had ignored food safety warnings, Marler used the high-profile cases to push for regulatory change. The *Seattle Times* described his media and policy strategy plainly: "Bill Marler, the Seattle lawyer who represented hundreds of victims in the Jack in the Box food poisoning case in the 1990s, was outraged by the avoidable tragedy that sickened 700 and claimed the lives of four children. He courted the media to get the E. coli bacteria on the agenda of policymakers — and played a key role in getting the U.S. Department of Agriculture to outlaw the most virulent strains of the pathogen in meat." The result was a landmark regulatory decision. USDA declared E. coli O157:H7 an adulterant, making it illegal to sell contaminated ground beef. The USDA also mandated safe handling labels and required producers to develop plans to prevent and test for pathogen contamination. "The industry could no longer point to the consumer and say, 'It's on you,'" said Michael Taylor, the FSIS administrator who made the call. "They had to take responsibility for the safety of their product." Industry groups fought back hard. The American Meat Institute and other organizations sued, and it took several years to implement the E. coli ban. But once it kicked in, it was like flipping a switch. Marler himself reflected on the impact: "That 1994 decision was good enough that, slowly, over the following decade, E. coli cases linked to beef fell, and fell so far, that what had been the staple of my firm's work almost completely evaporated." Elsewhere he put a number on it: "Between 1993 and 2002, 90% of my law firm revenue was E. coli cases linked to hamburger. I still have an occasional case, but those outbreaks essentially disappeared." The 2009–2012 Petition: Expanding to the "Big Six" Non-O157 E. coli Strains Even as O157:H7 cases fell, Marler recognized a new threat was emerging. In 2008, he funded independent grocery store testing to document it, then took action. In 2009, Marler Clark petitioned FSIS to extend the adulterant designation to non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strains. Non-O157 STECs were causing more illnesses than O157:H7 itself, and FSIS was doing nothing about them. The petition was filed on behalf of three seriously injured victims and documented the science. FSIS resisted for years. Then, in 2012, they acted: six additional non-O157 strains — O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145 — were declared adulterants. The USDA listened but took no noticeable action. Marler and his team filed a citizen's petition to force the USDA to declare the non-O157s an adulterant. They heard nothing until Marler threatened to sue, and then all the agency did was acknowledge that it received the petition, as the law requires. Marler said: "Our testing showed that these unregulated strains of E. coli are on store shelves. Federal law clearly says that anything in food that can sicken or kill you should be an adulterant and kept off the market, so why is USDA turning a blind eye to these E. coli?" In 2010, in advocating for the petition, Marler wrote pointedly: "The people of this nation do not deserve another Jack in the Box-sized catastrophe as a pre-requisite for currently needed agency action." By 2010, for the first time, those rarer strains of E. coli were responsible for more infections in the U.S. than E. coli O157. The move was hailed as a long-sought victory by food safety advocates, who said they wondered why it took so long to require testing for bacteria that the previous year collectively caused more infections than O157. Marler drew the direct line between the two victories: "The 1994 classification of E. coli O157:H7 as an adulterant was a turning point for food safety in the U.S., and the new rules will have a similar effect. It dramatically changed the landscape of how safe our meat supply is for the better." His Broader Stature in Food Safety As the leading foodborne illness attorney in the United States, Marler continues to use his prominence to advocate tirelessly for improved food safety. A major stakeholder in U.S. food policy, Marler helped facilitate passage of the 2010–2011 FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. Over the past 32 years, Marler has represented victims in every major foodborne illness outbreak in the United States, as well as cases in Europe, Asia, and Africa, securing over $850 million for clients affected by pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and Hepatitis A. Food industry defense lawyer Shawn Stevens, who has faced Marler in over 100 cases, captured his unique position in the field: "I often say it would be malpractice to sit down with a client and not mention Bill Marler." ### Other E. coli Lawsuits [Kebab Shop E. coli Outbreak Sickens Nine](https://marlerclark.com/kebab-shop-e-coli-outbreak-sickens-nine) [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) [Sycamore Pool in Chico California Contaminated with E.coli - Two teens in ICU](https://marlerclark.com/sycamore-pool-in-chico-california-contaminated-with-e-coli-two-teens-in-icu) [Deadly Nationwide E.coli Outbreak Linked to Grimmway Farms Organic Baby and Whole Carrots sickens 48](https://marlerclark.com/nationwide-e-coli-outbreak-linked-to-grimmway-farms-organic-baby-and-whole-carrots) [E. coli Outbreak tied to Red Cow and Hen House Restaurants](https://marlerclark.com/e-coli-outbreak-tied-to-red-cow-and-hen-house-restaurants) [Rockwood Summit High School E. coli Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/rockwood-summit-high-school-e-coli-outbreak) [McDonalds linked to 104 E. coli cases and 1 Death](https://marlerclark.com/mcdonalds-linked-to-nearly-50-e-coli-cases-and-1-death) [2 dead with 22 injured in E. coli Hamburger Outbreak in Montana](https://marlerclark.com/1-dead-with-13-injured-in-e-coli-hamburger-outbreak-in-montana) [E. coli Outbreak in Washington and California linked to Walnuts](https://marlerclark.com/e-coli-outbreak-in-washington-and-california-linked-to-walnuts) [Seattle PCC Market E. coli outbreak linked to Guacamole](https://marlerclark.com/seattle-ppc-market-e-coli-outbreak-linked-to-guacamole) [11 with E. coli linked to Raw Milk LLC Cheese](https://marlerclark.com/10-with-e-coli-linked-to-raw-milk-llc-cheese) ### Lawsuit updates about foodborne illnesses [Reactive Arthritis Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=reactive-arthritis&year=all) [E. coli Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=e-coli&year=all) [Guillain-Barre Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=guillain-barre-syndrome&year=all) [Salmonella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=salmonella&year=all) [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hemolytic-uremic-syndrome&year=all) [Listeria Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=listeria&year=all) [Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=irritable-bowel-syndrome&year=all) [Hepatitis A Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hepatitis-a&year=all) [Norovirus Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=norovirus&year=all) [Botulism Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=botulism&year=all) [Campylobacter Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=campylobacter&year=all) [Shigella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=shigella&year=all) [Cyclospora Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=cyclospora&year=all) ### Lawsuits updates by year [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1998](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1998) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1999](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1999) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2000](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2000) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2001](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2001) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2002](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2002) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2003](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2003) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2004](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2004) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2005](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2005) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2006](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2006) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2007](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2007) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2008](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2008) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2009](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2009) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2010](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2010) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2011](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2011) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2012](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2012) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2013](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2013) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2014](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2014) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2015](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2015) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2016](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2016) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2017](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2017) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2018](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2018) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2019](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2019) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2020](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2020) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2021](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2021) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2022](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2022) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2023](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2023) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2024](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2024) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2025](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2025) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2026](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2026) ##### Get Help #### Affected by an outbreak or recall? 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. E. coli O157:H7 may be the most notorious serotype of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), but there are at least... ###### [Sources of E. coli](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/sources-of-e-coli) Where do E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) come from? The primary reservoirs, or ultimate sources, of E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC in nature are... ###### [Transmission of and Infection with E. coli](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/transmission-of-and-infection-with-e-coli) While many dairy cattle-associated foodborne disease outbreaks are linked to raw milk and other raw dairy products (e.g., cheeses, butter, ice cream), dairy cattle still represent a source of contamination... ##### 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)