MINNEAPOLIS, MN – More than 20 people reportedly became ill with Salmonella infections after eating at Café Barbette, an Uptown Minneapolis restaurant, on June 5th and 6th. Bill Marler, a Seattle attorney with a national reputation for the successful representation of victims of foodborne illness, is in Minneapolis today, investigating the outbreak.
“I was already planning to be in town to finalize the settlement of the Dole E. coli outbreak cases, and somewhat coincidentally was contacted by victims of this most recent Salmonella outbreak in Minneapolis yesterday before I flew out,” said Marler, whose firm has represented thousands of victims of Salmonella outbreaks in the last ten years, and sponsors a Web site about Salmonella.
The Hennepin County Health Department is investigating the outbreak and has encouraged individuals suffering from symptoms of Salmonella infection, which include painful abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, to report their illnesses.
“In my experience, many more people become ill than report their illness to health officials,” Marler continued. “We could be looking at an outbreak that is significantly larger than 20 ill people.”
BACKGROUND: The attorneys at Marler Clark have extensive experience representing victims of foodborne illness. The firm has successfully represented victims of Salmonella poisoning related to contaminated sprouts, cantaloupe, cereal, orange juice, and other foods. The firm represented victims against Sun Orchard after the company’s orange juice was tied to a Salmonella outbreak. Marler Clark also settled the claims of victims who ate Salmonella-tainted pastries at Black Forrest bakery in Clinton Township, Michigan, and 70 victims of Salmonella poisoning at a country club in Rochester, New York. The firm represented 50 victims of the Chili’s Salmonella outbreak in Vernon Hills, Illinois, and has successfully represented over 1,000 victims of Salmonella poisoning in several other states.