--- title: The Cyclospora Lawsuits Have Begun date: 2026-07-27T13:11:00-07:00 author: Julie Dueck canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/the-cyclospora-lawsuits-have-begun" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Firm News](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/firm-news) / # The Cyclospora Lawsuits Have Begun **Business Insider | By Lauren Edmonds | July 2026** On July 16, health officials linked shredded lettuce sold at [US-based Taco Bell restaurants](https://www.businessinsider.com/cyclospora-outbreak-cause-identified-contaminated-lettuce-2026-7) to the cyclosporiasis outbreak. Within hours, the lawsuits began. At least four lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts, as cases linked to the [microscopic parasite](https://www.businessinsider.com/parasitic-diarrhea-outbreak-produce-to-avoid-how-to-prepare-food-2026-7) continue to spread across multiple states. [Taylor Farms](https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-know-taylor-farms-taco-bell-lettuce-supplier-cyclosporiasis-2026-7), a supplier of Taco Bell, said last week it was recalling its iceberg lettuce sourced from Mexico. On Sunday, the Food and Drug Administration said tests linking Taylor Farms to the outbreak should be considered a false positive. There are no confirmed positive results for cyclospora, the agency said. The cyclospora lawsuits Residents in Ohio and Michigan, two states hit hardest by the outbreak, kicked off the legal action. An Ohio man filed the first lawsuit against Pacific Bells, one of the largest Taco Bell franchises in the country, in a federal court on July 16. The complaint says the man ate two meals at a North Olmsted Taco Bell on June 14 and a third at the same location on June 21, and began to fall ill about a week later. The lawsuit said the man developed diarrhea and began vomiting on June 24. He sought medical attention on July 3 and, after providing a stool sample for testing, learned he had contracted cyclosporiasis. The complaint says the man's sickness, in addition to symptoms, forced him to miss two weeks of work and lose income. Then, on July 17, a second lawsuit related to the cyclosporiasis outbreak was filed by an Ohio woman. Her complaint named Taco Bell America and its suppliers, Taylor Farms California and Taylor Fresh Foods. The woman's lawsuit said she ate food sold from Taco Bell on June 3, June 15, and June 24. "As a direct and proximate result of her Cyclospora infection, Plaintiff suffered physical illness, pain, and suffering, a diminished working capacity, and other injuries. Plaintiff's recovery is ongoing," the lawsuit said. **The plaintiffs in both lawsuits are represented by Marler Clark, a law firm specializing in food safety law, and by Alexander Darr of Darr Law.** A married Michigan couple filed a third lawsuit on July 17. The couple, represented by OFT Law Food Safety & Injury Lawyers, named Taco Bell Corp, Taco Bell America, and Taylor Fresh Foods as defendants. The lawsuit said the couple fell sick after they "consumed shredded iceberg lettuce" at a Taco Bell in Durand, Michigan, on June 30. "Plaintiffs were forced to endure great pain, suffering, and inconvenience and may endure the same in the future," the lawsuit said. A fourth lawsuit against Taylor Fresh Foods and Charter Foods, a Taco Bell franchisee, was also filed on July 17. The lawsuit said the man purchased food on June 18 and June 20 from a Taco Bell in Youngstown and fell sick a few days later. **Recalls and Responses** In a statement, Taco Bell Corp. said the company had removed the affected Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants. Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide," the company said. Taco Bell Corp. said public health is a "shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests." Taylor Farms said last week it was "voluntarily removing" all its Mexico-sourced iceberg lettuce from the US market. [Cyclosporiasis](https://www.businessinsider.com/when-salad-greens-safe-to-eat-cyclospora-experts-2026-7), spread through [contaminated food and water](https://www.businessinsider.com/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-map-diarrhea-parasite-what-states-2026-7), can cause diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, and other symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it has received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestic cyclosporiasis cases in the US since May 1, and is aware of over 5,100 cases that need further analysis. The outbreak has reached 34 states so far. ### Other Cyclospora Lawsuits [Fresh Express Bagged Lettuce Linked to Cyclospora Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/bagged-lettuce-sold-by-aldi-hy-vee-and-jewel-osco-grocery-stores-recalled-after-cyclospora-outbreak) [Cyclospora Tainted Cilantro Sickens 495 in United Sates](https://marlerclark.com/cyclospora-tainted-cilantro-sickens-457-in-united-sates) [Nationwide Cyclospora Outbreak: Iowa & Nebraska Cases Linked to Bagged Salad, Cilantro](https://marlerclark.com/cyclospora-outbreak-in-midwest-linked-to-fresh-produce) ### 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 ###### [Cyclospora Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/cyclospora/what-is-cyclospora) What is Cyclospora cayetanensis? Cyclospora cayetanensis is a unicellular, microscopic parasite that can cause food- or water-related gastrointestinal illness. The oocyst form of the parasite is chlorine-resistant and must sporulate... ###### [Epidemiology of Cyclospora](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/cyclospora/epidemiology-of-cyclospora) Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the protozoan parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which is transmissible by ingestion of food or water contaminated with sporulated oocysts. Most cases of cyclosporiasis occur... ###### [Cyclospora’s Mode of Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/cyclospora/cyclosporas-mode-of-infection) The modes of transmission of C. cayetanensis are still not completely understood. Direct person-to-person transmission is unlikely because the oocysts are not infectious when initially shed (unlike Cryptosporidium, another foodborne... ###### [Symptoms of Cyclospora Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/cyclospora/symptoms-of-cyclospora-infection) What are the typical symptoms of Cyclospora infection? Cyclospora infects the small intestine (bowel) and usually causes watery diarrhea, bloating, increased gas, stomach cramps, flatulence, loss of appetite, nausea, low-grade... ###### [How is Cyclospora Diagnosed?](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/cyclospora/how-is-cyclospora-diagnosed) Cyclosporiasis is usually diagnosed symptomatically in clinical settings, including the presence of watery diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and bloating. In untreated, immunocompetent people, the diarrhea can last from days to weeks... ##### 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)