E. coli Cases Linked to Sam's Club Hamburgers
Pritzker | Ruohonen is currently representing victims of Minnesota E. coli outbreaks linked to ground beef. The firm is a Minnesota personal injury law firm with extensive experience with E. coli litigation, including cases involving hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). If your child has been sickened by hamburgers sold at Sam’s Club, contact Pritzker | Ruohonen toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or at 612-338-0202. If you call after hours, our on-call attorney will contact you as soon as possible. If you would prefer, you can submit the firm’s online consultation form. An attorney will review the form and contact you. The firm represents victims of E. coli outbreaks throughout the United States.
The Minnesota Department of Health issued a press release today regarding E. coli cases in Minnesota associated with American Chef’s beef patties sold at Sam’s Club stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, including Sam’s Club stores in Eagan, Maple Grove and White Bear Lake (other stores may also have sold contaminated hamburgers). These cases are not connected to the E. coli outbreak linked to Topps beef patties. The following is from the press release:
[Minnesota] health and agriculture officials are investigating four cases of E. coli O157:H7 infection in Minnesota children associated with eating ground beef patties purchased from Sam’s Club stores in August and September.
All four cases were related to pre-made frozen ground beef patties purchased at Sam’s Club stores in the Twin Cities metro area. The people became ill between September 10 and 20 after consuming the meat. The brand name of the implicated frozen ground beef patties was “American Chef’s Selection Angus Beef Patties.”
All four cases were children. Two of the cases developed hemolytic uremic syndrome and were hospitalized. One case has been discharged and one remains hospitalized. [For information regarding compensation for medical expenses, loss of earnings, and pain and suffering, contact a lawyer at Pritzker | Ruohonen at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202. Compensation in an E. coli lawsuit should include amounts for future expenses and future pain and suffering. Attorney Rich Ruohonen has recently chaired a legal seminar on pain and suffering issues.]
“The Sam’s Club stores currently involved include the Eagan, Maple Grove and White Bear Lake stores. However, we can’t be certain that meat from other stores is not involved, since the brand of implicated frozen ground beef patties was likely sold at other Sam’s Club locations,” said Heidi Kassenborg, Acting Director of the Dairy and Food Inspection Division of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA).
American Chef’s Selection Angus frozen Ground Beef Patties that were purchased on or after August 26, 2007 from a Sam’s Club store, whether still in the refrigerator or freezer, should not be used, but should be discarded or returned to the store, officials said. [E. coli is not killed by freezing temperatures, so any recalled Sam's Club hamburgers you have are potentially dangerous and need to be discarded or returned BUT ONLY IF YOU ARE SURE NO ONE HAS BEEN SICKENED. The incubation period for E. coli is at most 10 days. After that time, you should dispose of or return the recalled Sam's Club hamburgers.]
“Thorough cooking kills E. coli bacteria. However, we know that some of this meat was contaminated so it is safer to eliminate the risk altogether by recommending that people not consume the meat,” said Kirk Smith, Supervisor of the Foodborne Illness Unit with MDH.
As a precautionary measure, Sam’s Club has voluntarily removed American Chef’s Selection Angus Frozen Ground Beef Patties from all of their stores and is cooperating fully with the investigation. MDA is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine the source of the product contamination.
Sam’s Club customers are urged to return or destroy any American Chef’s Selection Angus Ground Beef Patties purchased at any of their stores since August 26, 2007. Customers should return the product to any Sam’s Club immediately for a full refund. A receipt is not required. [Again, if you have recalled Sam's Club hamburgers, do not return or discard them until you are sure no one was sickened. If someone is diagnosed with an E. coli infection, contact Pritzker | Ruohonen.]
Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 illness include stomach cramps, which can be severe, and diarrhea. Diarrhea begins as loose, watery stools, with stools often turning bloody within 1-3 days. E. coli O157:H7 disease sometimes leads to a serious complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can include kidney failure. People typically become ill two to five days after eating contaminated food. E. coli disease should not be treated with antibiotics, which can cause additional complications.
People who have developed those symptoms after consuming this American Chef's hamburgers from Sam's Club should contact their physician. [Contact Pritzker | Ruohonen for information regarding testing that will need to be done to link your case of E. coli to Sam's Club hamburgers and/or the other recalled Topps hamburgers.]