CHICAGO – Marler Clark, the nation’s leading law firm dedicated to representing victims of Salmonella filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against a Chicago El Gran Burrito restaurant. This is the second lawsuit filed by the law firm against El Gran Burrito on behalf of Salmonella victims [1].
In July of 2011, City of Chicago Public Health Officials along with the Illinois Department of Public Health linked a 30-person Salmonella Newport outbreak to an El Gran Burrito restaurant located on Roosevelt and Pulaski Rd.
According to a complaint (#2011L013598) filed in Cook County Circuit Court, Sabrina Slaughter purchased and consumed steak tacos from El Gran Burrito on July 7, 2011 and began experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms including cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting the next day. She attempted to fight the symptoms over the ensuing days but they worsened until she was taken to the emergency room on July 11 where tests revealed that her kidneys had failed due to dehydration brought on by intense vomiting and diarrhea. Her blood samples also tested positive for the same strain of Salmonella Newport associated with the El Gran Burrito outbreak.
“As Ms. Slaughter has learned, Salmonella can be far more than just a tummy ache,” said Marler Clark Salmonella attorney William Marler. “I’ve seen thousands of these cases in my time, but it is always troubling to see a person endure such hardship, likely because of something they ate.”
Salmonella infection is the nation’s second most common foodborne illness and accounts for 31% of all food poisoning deaths. However the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that for every one confirmed Salmonella illness as many as 38.5 go unreported, meaning as many as 1155 could have become ill in this outbreak.
“Though it may be hard to believe that 1,000 people became ill in this particular outbreak, the gross undercount that is associated with Salmonella leads one to believe that many who were sick were not reported,” said Marler.
MARLER CLARK is the nation’s leading law firm dedicated to representing victims of foodborne illness. Dedicated solely to food poisoning cases, the firm’s Salmonella attorneys have unmatched experience and have recovered over $600 million for victims and their families. For more information or to speak with an attorney call 1-866-770-2032. If you are a member of the media, contact Cody Moore at 1-206-407-2200 or cmoore@marlerclark.com.
[1] Cook County Circuit Court, 2011L008024.