Food Poisoning Law Blog

About two weeks after being hospitalized, three people are still in critical condition after being sickened in an E. coli outbreak linked to Little Rosie’s Taqueria restaurant in Huntsville, Alabama.

According to a story in today's Huntsville Times:

Five-year-old Samuel Coggin of Meridianville is undergoing dialysis at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital to flush the toxic E. coli O157:H7 bacteria from his kidneys. In a sign that the treatment is working, Samuel was able to urinate Sunday night, said his grandfather James Cole. "Before we left, we gathered around his hospital bed and prayed," Cole said Monday. "Rene (Samuel's mother) said he woke up about 10 minutes later and said, 'I've got to go to the bathroom.' I have no doubt prayer is what's helped the dialysis work better and hopefully faster."

Hampton Cove resident Regina Lassiter, 69, is also slowly improving, although she remains on a ventilator at Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C. Lassiter and her husband, Max, were visiting a nephew in Highlands, N.C., when she got sick.

"The doctors are optimistic about her long-term recovery," Max Lassiter said Monday. "But they're saying it'll take a long time - maybe a few weeks or months."

The other hospitalized E. coli victim, a 48-year-old woman whose name has not been released, was in serious condition Monday in Huntsville Hospital's medical intensive care unit. She had been in critical condition.

E. coli-related kidney failure is caused by hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a condition that can develop from an E. coli O157:H7 infection. HUS is the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States and is responsible for most E. coli-related deaths. HUS can cause permanent injury to the kidneys and other organs and is fatal in about 5% of the cases.

To contact Pritzker | Ruohonen, a leading foodborne litigation law firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online consultation form.  The firm is currently representing the families of two women who died from E. coli-related HUS.

Pritzker | Ruohonen, a leading E. coli litigation law firm, is continuing to monitor the E. coli outbreak linked to shredded lettuce served at Little Rosie's Taqueria restaurant in Huntsville, Alabama. There are now 17 confirmed cases, with more possible confirmations in the next few days. Three of the people who contracted E. coli have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which has caused kidney failure in all three. According to the Huntsville Times:

Five-year-old Samuel Coggin of Meridianville was scheduled to start dialysis Tuesday evening at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Two female victims also remain hospitalized with kidney problems: a 48-year-old woman in critical condition at Huntsville Hospital; and a 70-year-old woman undergoing dialysis in Asheville, N.C.

According to health officials, epidemiological evidence, including statistical analyses and victim interviews, pointed to shredded lettuce served June 28-29 as the most likely source of the E. coli outbreak, Health officials believe the shredded lettuce was contaminated with E. coli bacteria by a Little Rosie’s Taqueria food handler.

Five people with confirmed cases of E. coli have been hospitalized. The following quote from the Huntsville Times makes this more than a statistic:   

Five-year-old Samuel Coggin of Meridianville was taken to Vanderbilt by ambulance Sunday and may have to undergo dialysis, said his grandfather, James Cole. Kidney failure is one of the most serious symptoms of E. coli infection.

"He can't eat; he won't eat," Cole said today. "The doctors have told us (E. coli) is much worse on the very young and the very old, since their immune systems aren't as strong."

E. coli seriously sickens and kills people, primarily the very young and the elderly.  Medically, there is little that can be done. Even though E. coli is a bacterial infection, antibiotics are not recommended by the CDC because antibiotics may increase the risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States. 

When an E. coli victim develops hemolytic uremic syndrome, recovery can take months.  About 30% of HUS patients have permanent kidney damage and about 5% die.  Samuel Coggin is fighting for his life. The other 4 people are most likely also severely ill.  

In addition to the 5 hospitalized people , there are at least 9 others with confirmed E. coli. This E. coli outbreak may be linked to a Huntsville restaurant, Little Rosie’s Taqueria.  [Update to the following information: Health officials have announced that the source of this outbreak is lettuce contaminated with E. coli.]  Health officials are still looking for the source of the outbreak, which could be food, water or an infected food handler who did not wash his or her hands adequately.  Even if the source is not found, a restaurant is liable for any illness linked to its food.  Finding the source is important for prevention, but not critical for a lawsuit against Little Rosie’s Taqueria.

Pritzker | Ruohonen, one of the leading E. coli litigation law firms in the United States, vigorously pursues claims against restaurants and others responsible for E. coli poisoning. We do not rush to file lawsuits during E. coli outbreaks for our own marketing purposes. We take the time to gather evidence and thoughtfully develop a case. We always do what is best for our clients. To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form for review by an E. coli lawyer.  

The Buffalo Trace District Health Department has confirmed three cases of E. coli poisoning in Bracken and Fleming counties in Kentucky.  All three were hospitalized. E. coli poisoning can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in the United States.  Children can be in the hospital for months recovering from HUS.  Some children never totally recover, and each year children die.  Recently, a boy in New Jersey died from E. coli-related HUS.

According to Tim Stump, director of the district health department, The three cases have been confirmed as E. coli, but the sub-type of E. coli has not been determined.  The sub-type of E. coli most often associated with HUS is E. coli O157:H7, although other sub-types of E. coli can cause HUS.  Also, genetic fingerprinting will have to be done to determine if the cases were caused by genetically-similar E. coli bacteria, which would suggest that the cases are connected to each other and a common source.

Health investigators are looking for the source of these E. coli cases.  The first step is stool samples for testing purposes. This has been done. Next, epidemiologists interview the children if they are well enough and old enough and the children’s parents regarding what the children ate, did, who they played with, basically everything that happened in their lives in the days before the children manifested symptoms of E. coli.  

Any connection to a food product and/or restaurant is investigated.  The combination of epidemiological research and microbiological testing sometimes leads to the source of an E. coli outbreak.  Often, a source is never found. 

The E. coli lawyers at Pritzker | Ruohonen are available for a free consultation.  To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form.

The Department of Health and Welfare has announced a rise in E. coli O157:H7 cases in Idaho. During the month of May, five cases of E. coli O157:H7 were reported, but in June, 12 cases have already been reported to the state health department, with others under investigation. Last year, 55 cases of E. coli O157:H7 were reported in Idaho.

 “We are seeing clusters of illness in families and communities across southern Idaho”, said Dr. Christine Hahn, state epidemiologist. “In some cases, it is unclear how the disease has spread, but in some cases, exposure to potentially contaminated food or water may be to blame.”

Summer often brings a rise in foodborne and waterborne illness. Several beaches throughout the U.S. are closed each year due to E. coli levels in the water. Foodborne transmission of E. coli is generally higher in the summer and in recent years has hit a peak in late summer.  This year, with so many outbreaks linked to ground beef in the last several weeks, the peak may be early summer.

The leafy green vegetable industry has won a battle in the California legislature to continue its failed course of “self regulation.” Food safety advocates have been watching two bills make their way through the California legislative process. These bills would have provided needed government oversight of the sanitary processing of leafy green vegetables, including state inspections. The bills, which were sponsored by Sen. Dean Florez in response to the 2006 E. coli outbreak linked to California-grown spinach, had been passed by the state Senate but were killed in an Assembly committee.

In a story in the Central Valley Business Times, Nicole Para, chairwoman of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, was stated as saying that “her members prefer to let the agriculture industry regulate itself with a stricter, but voluntary, inspection program.”

Although state and federal enforcement of safety laws and regulations is dependent on adequate funding and political will, it is still better to have the laws and regulations than to have self-regulation. Spare the rod; spoil the industry; sicken consumers.

E. coli has taken the life of a first grade boy in Hackensack, New Jersey. E. coli is extremely dangerous to children and treatment primarily consists of preventing dehydration. The CDC does not recommend the use of antibiotics because they may increase the risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States and a frequent cause of E. coli-related death. E. coli O157:H7 is responsible for about 70% of HUS cases in the United States.

Officials at Jackson Avenue School, the school the boy attended, notified parents in a letter of the death. According to a report by CBS news (wcbstv.com), school officials think the risk to other students is low:

"We are very confident at this point based on the information they provided us that this is an isolated incident and there is no need for concern," Hackensack Superintendent Dr. Joseph Montesano told CBS 2 HD.

What's unclear, however, is how the boy contracted the bacteria.

State health officials say the Jackson Avenue School nurse sent the boy home sick on June 13, but he did not have diarrhea or a fever. That's important because health officials say E. coli is typically transmitted when those symptoms are present.

Although the source of the E. coli bacteria responsible for the death of this young boy may never be known, what is known is that every case of E. coli is caused by unsanitary conditions. This could be ground beef or fresh produce contaminated with feces, contaminated water, or the hands of someone who didn’t take the time to wash their hands well.  The beef and produce industries need to put far more effort into E. coli prevention; restaurants need to train all employees in food safety and E. coli prevention; and federal regulators have to enact regulations that will ensure the safety of our food supply.  E. coli is preventable.

Health officials closed Captain’s Galley Restaurant in China Grove, North Carolina, after learning a goat had been slaughtered in the kitchen days before several restaurant patrons contracted E. coli infections. One of those sickened, Faye Sides, died on Thursday.

Although E. coli is usually associated with beef cattle, goats can also carry and spread this pathogen. Raw goats milk and goat meat carry the risk of E. coli contamination. Goats at petting zoos and county fairs can also spread the pathogen. In this case, feces from the slaughtered goat could have been contaminated food preparation surfaces, utensils, or food that it came in contact with.

Interviews of Captain’s Galley employees have been conflicting, and investigators are doubtful as to whether any part of the goat carcass will be found. Without the carcass to test for E. coli, health officials may never be able to determine conclusively that the goat was responsible for the E. coli outbreak. 

The owners of Captain’s Galley in China Grove have denied knowledge of the goat killing, but even if they did not know about it, a restaurant is liable for any illness associated with its food. Microbiological evidence linking an outbreak to a specific food is often not necessary for a finding of liability against a restaurant if the other microbiological and epidemiological evidence is strong, for example if outbreak victims sickened by genetically-identical E.coli bacteria ate at a certain restaurant within a certain time frame.

Pritzker | Ruohonen has been contacted by families of victims of this outbreak.  For a free consultation regarding the liability of a restaurant that has been linked to an E. coli outbreak, please call Pritzker | Ruohonen toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form. 

The Arizona Department of Health Services notified the public today that the expansion of the United Food Group hamburger recall (now 5.7 million pounds) may include hamburger repackaged by grocery stores.  The following Arizona grocery stores received hamburger (ground beef) from United Food Group and may have repackaged it under their store brand name.

Albertson’s
Basha’s
Fry’s
‘R’ Ranch Markets
Safeway
Sam’s Club
Save-a-lot
Smart and Final
Smith’s
Trader Joe’s

To date, there are six reported human cases of E. coli 0157 in Arizona linked to this outbreak; three in Maricopa, two in Yavapai, and one in Navajo Counties. These individuals became ill between May 2 and May 12, 2007. Their ages range from 6 – 63 years of age. Four cases could be contacted by public health, three required hospitalization and have recovered. No deaths have been reported due to this outbreak.

Pritzker | Ruohonen, a leading E. coli litigation law firm, has been contacted by victims of this outbreak. The firm is representing victims of another Arizona food poisoning outbreak. To contact Pritzker | Ruohonen, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online contact form. Read about E. coli and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), one of the leading causes of kidney failure.

According to the Fresno County Department of Community Health, the source of the E. coli outbreak in the Fresno area was cooked meat from "The Grill" at Meat Market in Northwest Fresno.  Earlier tests had confirmed that the strain of E. coli responsible for the outbreak was E. coli  O157:H7, a dangerous strain that is responsible for most of the E. coli outbreaks in the United States.

Every E. coli O157:H7 outbreak is caused by a genetically-unique E. coli O157:H7 bacterium.  When there is an E. coli outbreak, stool samples of victims are collected and tested to determine what strain of E. coli is involved.  Additional testing is then done to determine the genetic fingerprint of the bacteria.  E. coli cases are considered part of the outbreak if the E. coli that sickened the person has the outbreak's genetic fingerprint.

To determine the source of an outbreak, epidemiologists consider the above evidence, interview witnesses, and review test results done on food samples, etc.  In the Fresno outbreak, interviews with victims made it clear from early on that "The Grill" at Meat Market was most likely connected to the outbreak.   Testing done on victim's stool samples and leftover meat from The Grill at Meat Market has found the same, genetically-unique E. coli in the stool samples and the meat.

Food vendors are responsible for illness associated with their food.  If you were diagnosed with E. coli after eating meat at "The Grill" at Meat Market, contact Pritzker | Ruohonen toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online consultation form.  Learn more about E. coli at the firm's website.

Pritzker Ruohonen is investigating an E. coli outbreak associated with ground beef sold at Arizona grocery stores, including Save-A-Lot. Arizona Health Laboratory tests have identified four E. coli 0157:H7 cases in Arizona that may be linked to recalled ground beef from a California plant.  Health officials said the E. coli O157:H7  DNA fingerprint in the four Arizona cases matches the illnesses and ground beef, but further confirmation is necessary to determine whether the ground beef is responsible.  

Every E. coli O157:H7 outbreak involves a genetically-unique E. coli O157:H7 DNA fingerprint. When a case of E. coli O157:H7 is linked to a food product like has been done with the 4 Arizona cases, those responsible are usually strictly liable for damages suffered by the people sickened. Compensation in an E. coli case can include medical expenses, loss of earnings, pain and suffering and other damages.

Of the four cases of E. coli in Arizona, two are in Maricopa County, and one each in Yavapai and Navajo counties. Two of the cases were hospitalized but recovered. Even if someone sickened in an E. coli outbreak is not hospitalized, that person has suffered injury and has a case against responsible parties. In this E. coli outbreak, responsible parties may include United Food Group LLC, Supervalue or another distributor of the recalled ground beef, Save-A-Lot or another Arizona grocery store, and others.

The Arizona Department of Health Services is urging residents who purchased ground beef to check the product for specific code information and discard it or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.  If someone has eaten any of the ground beef, DO NOT RETURN IT OR DISCARD IT. You should seal it in a plastic bag, label the bag “Do not eat – 1-888-377-8900,” and put it in the refrigerator. You should watch for symptoms of an E. coli infection, which include watery or bloody diarrhea, cramps, and sometimes a low fever.  If someone is sickened, call Pritzker | Ruohonen toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and remedies.

The ground beef products were produced on April 20 and were shipped to retail distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon and Utah. The labels of the products subject to recall bear the establishment number "EST. 1241" inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed on the package. All of the products bear a sell by date of "May/06/07," a freeze by date of "May/07/07" or a produced on date of "April/20/07." Products subject to recall include:

• 10-pound casings of "MORAN'S All Natural, 73/27 fine ground beef."
• 10-pound casings of "MORAN'S All Natural, 90/10 fine ground sirloin."
• 2-pound chubs of "INTER-AMERICAN PRODUCTS 93/7 ground beef."
• 1-pound chubs of "INTER-AMERICAN PRODUCTS 80/20 ground beef."
• 1-pound chubs of "MORAN'S All Natural 73/27 ground beef."
• 5-pound chubs of "MORAN'S All Natural 73/27 ground beef."
• 5-pound chubs of "MORAN'S All Natural 73/27 ground beef."
• 1-pound chubs of "MORAN'S All Natural, 90/10 fine ground sirloin."
• 2-pound chubs of "MORAN'S All Natural 93/7 ground beef."
• 2-pound chubs of "MORAN'S All Natural 96/4 ground beef."
• 3-pound chubs of "STATER BROS. MARKETS 73/27 ground beef."

Update to the information below:  On June 5, the Arizona Department of Health Services issued a press release announcing that 4 cases of E. coli O157:H7 in Arizona have been linked to the ground beef recalled by United Food Group LLC.  Supervalue's Save-A-Lot stores in Arizona are involved in this recall.  Pritzker | Ruohonen is currently representing several victims of a foodborne illness outbreak in Arizona and is investigaing this E. coli outbreak.  If you have been sickened after eating ground beef, contact Pritzker | Ruohonen at 1-888-377-8900.]

United Food Group LLC, a California firm, has recalled about 75,000 pounds of ground beef due to possible contamination with E. coli.  This is the second E. coli-related California ground beef recall in just over a month.  The first California ground beef recall occurred on April 20 and involved almost 108,000 pounds of ground beef.

The ground beef involved in this recall was shipped to retail distribution centers in  Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon and Utah.  The labels of the recalled ground beef bear the establishment number "EST. 1241" inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed on the package. All of the products bear a sell by date of "May/06/07," a freeze by date of "May/07/07" or a produced on date of "April/20/07." Products subject to recall include:

• 10-pound casings of "MORAN'S All Natural, 73/27 fine ground beef."
• 10-pound casings of "MORAN'S All Natural, 90/10 fine ground sirloin."
• 2-pound chubs of "INTER-AMERICAN PRODUCTS 93/7 ground beef."
• 1-pound chubs of "INTER-AMERICAN PRODUCTS 80/20 ground beef."
• 1-pound chubs of "MORAN'S All Natural 73/27 ground beef."
• 5-pound chubs of "MORAN'S All Natural 73/27 ground beef."
• 3-pound chubs of "MORAN'S All Natural 73/27 ground beef."
• 1-pound chubs of "MORAN'S All Natural, 90/10 fine ground sirloin."
• 2-pound chubs of "MORAN'S All Natural 93/7 ground beef."
• 2-pound chubs of "MORAN'S All Natural 96/4 ground beef."
• 3-pound chubs of "STATER BROS. MARKETS 73/27 ground beef."

Pritzker | Ruohonen, a leading E. coli litigation law firm, is monitoring this recall.  To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online consultation form.

Pritzker | Ruohonen is investigating an E. coli outbreak in the Fresno, California area that may be associated with a meat product from Meat Market, according to a story in the Fresno Bee. People who attended three parties in the Fresno area have reported symptoms consistent with E. coli infections. According to the story, all three events were catered by Meat Market.

According to a story last night on ABC30 Action News, there are now at least 8 cases of E. coli involved in this outbreak. Health officials told the news station that investigators may be close to finding the source of the E. coli outbreak.

An investigation into an E. coli outbreak involves both epidemiology and microbiology. Initially, epidemiologists gathered samples from possible locations of the E. coli source, in this case Meat Market. Epidemiologists also interview people who report illness and gather information relating to stool samples of the sickened people. Microbiologists test and analyze stool samples and any samples taken from the restaurant and any other possible sources of the outbreak. If E. coli bacteria are found, microbiologists do genetic testing on E. coli. This is the step that determines the depth and breath of an outbreak because each outbreak has a genetically-unique E. coli bacteria involved.

Pritzker | Ruohonen, a leading E. coli litigation lawfirm, has gained a national reputation in this area.  To contact an E. coli lawyer at the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online contact form.  To learn more about the firm, please see the Pritzker | Ruohonen website.

According to a recent article of Ropin the Web (an Ablerta, Canada sponsored agriculture website), food safety scientists from Alberta have developed a method of detecting E. coli O157:H7 using simple rope in feedlot cattle. 

All that is involved in the process is hanging a rope in feedlot pens the night before the cattle are slaughtered.  Margaret McFall, a food safety division scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Food, was quoted in the article as saying:

 "the ropes were used as sampling devices.  When you put something strange in a pen, the animals are attracted to it and rub and chew on it, and the E. coli O157:H7 in their mouth can be transferred to the rope."

12 people in Bakersfield, California have been sickened by an outbreak of E. coli, 11 of them are children.  Four of the children involved in the outbreak of been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is the leading source of kidney failure of children in the United States. 

According to B. A. Jinadu, M.D., M.P.H., Kern County Health Officer and Director of Public Health Services:

After a thorough investigation, the Department of Public Health has identified that an initial exposure occurred on 4/26 during a water slide event, a known source of E. coli exposure in such a situation. This started the chain of an infectious process which stretched from 4/26 - 5/4, where some of the cases became ill following these events. This is consistent with the incubation period for E. coli.

Another significant event occurred on 4/29 during which the same social circle attended that event. This proves to be an event point for secondary infections.  The evidence also supports that the two (2) cases that showed symptoms on 4/27, a day following the water slide event, appeared to have been exposed at an earlier date and were infectious at the time of that event. One of the cases is considered the starting point for the investigation. The Department of Public Health continues to explore the point of exposure of the index case. However, it is not unusual in similar types of outbreaks that the initial point of exposure may never be identified.

Pritzker | Ruohonen is currently representing victims of E. coli outbreaks linked to ground beef. (Read about the E. coli recall and outbreak linked to ground beef sold at Byerly's and Lunds.)  Please contact the firm if you need representation in a lawsuit against Marketplace Foods or any other party that may be associated with the following recall.

Michigan Beef Recall Information

Davis Creek Meats and Seafood of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is voluntarily recalling approximately 129,000 pounds of beef products, due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. The beef products were produced between March 1 and April 30, 2007, and were shipped to foodservice distribution centers and Marketplace stores in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The problem was discovered by Michigan Department of Community Health as part of an E. coli O157:H7 illness investigation.

The following products are subject to recall. They include boxes of mechanically tenderized steaks and ground beef of varying weights. Labels on the boxes bear the establishment number “Est. 1947A” inside the USDA mark of inspection and a date code (on the top right corner of the label) between “060” and “120.” Only products with those date codes are subject to recall. Each box also bears a net weight declaration and the message “Manufactured for Gordon Food Service” or “Distributed by Gordon Food Service.” The list of recalled products includes ground beef, roasts, steak, and other cuts of beef.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young, seniors and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

Generally, steaks are not considered a high-risk source of E. coli O157: H7. However, the steak products subject to recall were mechanically tenderized and that process may have transferred the bacteria from the surface to the inside of the product. FSIS reminds consumers and food preparers that mechanically tenderized beef products or those injected with a marinade or solution require a higher cooking temperature to achieve microbiological safety than steaks that are not mechanically tenderized. Therefore, these products should not be served “rare.”

The Food Code, a national guidance document specific to foodservice, states that injected meats, including those mechanically tenderized, should be cooked to an internal temperature of 155°F for a minimum of 15 seconds as measured with a food thermometer.

Byerly's and Lunds have pulled the following products off of their shelves after 7 people contracted E. coli linked to Byerly's and Lunds  beef products.  Byerly's and Lunds have pulled the following products::

• 80% Lean Ground Beef
• 85% Lean Ground Beef
• 90% Lean Ground Beef
• 95% Lean Ground Beef
• 85% Lean Ground Beef Patties
• 90% Lean Ground Beef Patties
• 95% Lean Ground Beef Patties
• Fresh 3-Way Meatloaf
• Fresh Oven-Ready Seasoned Meatloaf
• Frozen Oven-Ready Seasoned Meatloaf
• Ground Chili Meat
• Fresh Wild Rice Beef Patties
• Fresh Bacon Mushroom Swiss Patties
• Fresh Sicilian Beef Patties
• Great Foods Fast Beef Burger Bundles
• Great Foods Fast Mini Meatloaf
• Great Foods Fast Taco Meatloaf
• Great Foods Fast Italian Meatballs
• Great Foods Fast Mexican Meatballs

The law firm of Pritzker | Ruohonen is monitoring a possible E. coli outbreak linked to Hoss's Steak and Sea Restaurants. An investigation carried out by FSIS and the Pennsylvania Department of Health has linked several illnesses to steak products produced at the plant for Hoss's Family Steak and Sea Restaurants, a Pennsylvania-based restaurant chain with restaurants in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.  Steaks, ground beef patties, and other cuts of meat used at Hoss's Steak and Sea Restaurants were recalled due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. 

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young, seniors and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.  Learn about E. coli symptoms and E. coli treatment.

Generally, steaks are not considered a high-risk source of E. coli O157: H7. However, the products subject to recall were injected with tenderizers and flavor-enhancing solutions, and that process may have transferred the bacteria from the surface to the inside of the product.  Read more about the April 20, 2007, beef recall.

Pritzker | Ruohonen is a leading E. coli litigation law firm and has recovered millions of dollars for food poisoning victims, including a recent settlement for $6,425,000.  E. coli attorney Fred Pritzker has gained a national reputation in this area and has been interviewed by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications.  In recognition of his accomplishments, he was selected by other attorneys for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.

CALL TOLL-FREE AT 1-888-377-8900 OR SUBMIT THE ONLINE CONSULTATION FORM FOR REVIEW BY A LAWYER AT PRITZKER | RUOHONEN

A 15th person has been reported infected due to the recent E. coli outbreak at the Souplantation restaurant in Orange County, California. 

So far, 10 children and 5 adults have been infected.  But only 2 children have been hospitalized.  All of those who have tested positive for E. coli ate at the restaurant between March 23 and March 25. 

Souplantation remains closed as efforts to determine the source of the outbreak has not been determined. 

If you have been diagnosed with E. coli poisoning and ate at Souplantation, contact E. coli lawyer Fred Pritzker, one of the nation’s leading food poisoning litigators.  To contact Pritzker | Ruohonen, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or e-mail Fred Pritzker.