--- title: "Outbreak: Chi-Chi's should have seen it coming and heeded warning signs, attorney says" date: 2003-11-19T19:47:00-08:00 author: admin canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreak-chi-chis-should-have-seen-it-coming-and-heeded-warning-signs-attor" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Outbreaks](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) / # Outbreak: Chi-Chi's should have seen it coming and heeded warning signs, attorney says PITTSBURGH — Seattle attorney William Marler today responded to the FDA announcement that green onions were the source of the hepatitis-A outbreak linked to the Beaver Valley Mall Chi-Chi’s restaurant, saying Chi-Chi’s should have been more vigilant in its food safety efforts. The FDA announcement came after health officials determined that green onions served at Chi-Chi’s were contaminated with the same strain of hepatitis-A that was linked to green onions served at restaurants in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina in mid-August. Marler Clark represents victims of the earlier outbreak and over 50 victims of the outbreak linked to the Beaver Valley Mall Chi-Chi’s. “Given the fact that there was a huge hepatitis-A outbreak linked to green onions – an ingredient used in nearly every dish served by Chi-Chi’s – just a few months ago, Chi-Chi’s should have been aware that it needed to take extra precautions when selecting suppliers of green onions,” said Marler. “I present to restaurant groups around the country, telling them that ignorance is no excuse when your product is traced as the source of an outbreak. The law presumes you know what you should have known – if you had bothered to look,” Marler continued. “The signs were there for any responsible restaurant operator. Chi Chi’s should have taken a look around and said, ‘Hey. O’Charley’s just paid the Knox County Health Department $80,000 for costs associated with an outbreak. We don’t want to do that.’” Marler has called on Chi-Chi’s twice to repay the costs of the outbreak investigation and to pay victims’ medical bills and lost wages, and those lost wages of people who stood in line at clinics to receive Immune Globulin serum to prevent infection. “O’Charley’s did it. Pat & Oscar’s paid the medical bills of victims of an E. coli outbreak in California during September and October, and Chili’s paid the medical bills of victims of a Salmonella outbreak in Illinois last spring. It’s the right thing to do, and it goes a long way to restoring confidence in your restaurant.” BACKGROUND: Marler Clark has achieved great success representing hepatitis-A victims across the country. The firm obtained a million dollar settlement on behalf of people infected with hepatitis-A after eating contaminated food at two Seattle Subway Sandwich franchises. Marler Clark has also represented victims who became ill with hepatitis-A after eating at a Carl’s Jr. restaurant in Spokane, Washington, three restaurants in Northwest Arkansas, a large wedding party in Michigan, which resulted in a death, a Taco Bell outlet in Florida, and at a deli in Massachusetts. More about the [Chi-Chi's hepatitis A outbreak](http://www.marlerclark.com/case_news/view/chi-chis-hepatitis-a-outbreak-pennsylvania "Chi-Chi's hepatitis A outbreak") can be found in the Case News area of this site. See also [](http://www.about-hepatitis.com/ "www.About-Hepatitis.com")[www.About-Hepatitis.com](http://www.About-Hepatitis.com) and [](http://www.hepatitislitigation.com/ "www.HepatitisLitigation.com")[www.HepatitisLitigation.com](http://www.HepatitisLitigation.com). ### 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? 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