SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Marler Clark, the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of foodborne illness, filed an E. coli lawsuit against Artherstone Foods, an organic salad and sandwich producer doing business as Glass Onion Catering, on Monday. The lawsuit was filed in San Francisco County Superior Court (Case no. CGC-13-535697) on behalf of San Francisco resident Jessie Withers, who allegedly fell ill with an E. coli infection after eating a contaminated salad purchased from Trader Joe’s and manufactured by Glass Onion Catering. Ms. Withers is also represented by Diego-based Gordon & Holmes.
According to the complaint, Ms. Withers consumed a salad manufactured by Glass Onion Catering and sold at Trader Joe’s on October 13, 2013. Court documents allege that she began experiencing symptoms of E. coli infection on October 21, 2013 and was admitted to the Emergency Room for treatment on two occasions. The complaint states that Ms. Withers was informed that a stool specimen submitted at the hospital tested positive for a strain of E. coli O157:H7 that was indistinguishable from the strain that had been previously linked to other E. coli outbreak victims who had eaten salads and wraps manufactured by Glass Onion Catering.
“Through this lawsuit, we’re seeing compensation for our client’s physical injuries, medical expenses, lost wages and other related costs,” said food safety advocate and attorney Bill Marler. “We’re alleging that the Glass Onion Catering salad was unsafe for human consumption, but that’s something we may have to let a jury decide.”
According to court documents, Ms. Withers continues to suffer from the symptoms of her E. coli infection. As of November 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had received reports of 32 E. coli cases traced to Glass Onion Catering products; 27 of those cases had been reported among California residents. Glass Onion Catering recalled its salads and wraps sold at Walgreens, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods stores.
BACKGROUND: Marler Clark has represented thousands of victims of E. coli and other foodborne illness outbreaks since the 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak (Pierce County Superior Court Case No. 93-2-00930-1). The law firm has recovered over $600 million for victims of not only E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria and hepatitis A outbreaks.