Personal Injury Law

Settlements reached in 2009 E. coli O157:H7 Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Illnesses

Posted on May 22, 2010
In early April 2009, health officials from several states began investigating reports of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses associated with the consumption of ground beef products manufactured by the JBS Swift company. On June 24, 2009, JBS Swift announced a voluntary recall of approximately 41,280 pounds of beef products due to potential contamination with E...

Delauro urges Senate Action on Food Safety Legislation in wake of latest recall

Posted on May 22, 2010
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) released the following statement today in response to the urgent recall of all alfalfa sprouts manufactured by J.H. Caldwell and Sons sold under three brand names: Caldwell Fresh Foods, Nature's Choice, and California Exotics brand...

Another Sprout Outbreak - Time to use www.outbreakdatabase.com

Posted on May 21, 2010
The Outbreak CDC is collaborating with public health officials in many states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella serotype Newport infections linked to the consumption of raw alfalfa sprouts...

E. coli O145 Tainted Romaine Lettuce linked to 33 illnesses in Michigan, New York, Ohio, Tennessee and now Pennsylvania

Posted on May 21, 2010
A total of 26 confirmed and 7 probable cases related to this outbreak have been reported by the CDC from 5 states since March 1, 2010. The number of ill persons identified in each state with this strain is: MI (11 confirmed and 2 probable), NY (5 confirmed and 2 probable), OH (8 confirmed and 3 probable), PA (1 confirmed), and TN (1 confirmed)...

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One year since being hit by E. coli, Linda Rivera keeps putting one foot in front of the other

Posted on May 21, 2010
Since being infected with E. coli O157:H7 over one year ago, Linda Rivera has struggled with brain injury, kidney and liver failure, months on a ventilator, loss of her large intestine and other complications too numerous to mention.  She continues to fight every day to recover...

Caldwell Fresh Foods Salmonella Sprouts Stricken 23 in 10 States

Posted on May 21, 2010
Oregon Public Health officials today are warning consumers about a nationwide recall of alfalfa sprouts produced by Caldwell Fresh Foods of Maywood, Calif., and sold under several label names in Oregon. The sprouts are being sold in at least 17 other states in the West, Midwest and the South...

Ropelato Dairy Linked to Campylobacter and Redmond Dairy Linked to Salmonella in Raw Milk

Posted on May 20, 2010
According to the Utah State Department of Health: Nine reported cases of Campylobacter infection among residents in Weber, Davis and Cache counties have been linked to Ropelato Dairy in Ogden. Ropelato's license to sell raw milk has been suspended. Six reported cases of Salmonella infection in Utah, Salt Lake and Wasatch counties have been linked to Redmond Dairy, in central Utah, which produced raw milk for stores in Heber City and Orem...

AAJ weighs in on Non-O157:H7

Posted on May 20, 2010
By Allison Torres Burtka Seattle lawyer Bill Marler has taken food safety into his own hands: A year and a half ago, Marler, who represents plaintiffs in tainted-food cases, hired a lab to test 5,000 samples of ground beef from grocery stores in six states for (non-O157:H7) E...

E. coli 0143:H34 Found in Freshway Romaine Lettuce in Ohio - FDA Still Refuses to Name Farm

Posted on May 20, 2010
The Columbus Dispatch reports that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have determined that the strain of bacteria was Escherichia coli 0143:H34.  The E. coli in the bag of lettuce tested in Ohio hasn't been linked to any known food-borne illness here or elsewhere, but it could sicken people...

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle sees the raw milk glass half empty - wields veto pen.

Posted on May 19, 2010
AP's Scott Bauer and I caught up with each other this morning shortly after Governor Jim Doyle vetoed a bill that would have allowed limited sales of raw milk in Wisconsin, saying he was protecting citizens' health and safety. He also expressed concerns about how a possible outbreak of disease from drinking the unpasteurized milk could affect the state's $26 billion dairy industry...

Campylobacter and Salmonella Illnesses Linked to Raw Milk

Posted on May 18, 2010
According to a Utah Public Health Press Release, officials are investigating two separate clusters of illness linked to the consumption of raw milk. To date, the first cluster includes nine reported cases of Campylobacter infection among residents in Weber, Davis and Cache Counties...

BPA and S. 510 - "The perfect is the enemy of the good"

Posted on May 18, 2010
I personally do not think BPA should be in cans nor in containers.  But, I also think that its ban should not be in S. 510 - "The Food Safety Modernization Act."  If it is worth it, stand it alone.  But, in and of itself, it should not stand in the way of the first real move for comprehensive food safety legislation in my lifetime...

Is Twitter the New FDA? Should it be?

Posted on May 18, 2010
Last night I posted 'Romaine Lettuce E. coli O145 Outbreak - The FDA to us – ‘You can't handle the truth!'' In a not too subtle way I kept asking the question, why is the FDA not disclosing who 'The Yuma Farm' is? I mean, seriously, Freshway disclosed that they received romaine lettuce from Andrew Smith...

Campylobacter outbreak hits Saratoga Springs Utah - Its the water.

Posted on May 18, 2010
The Utah County Health Department (UCHD) is continuing to work with the City of Saratoga Springs, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, the Utah Department of Health, and other public and private organizations to determine the cause of this campylobacter outbreak...

Is Twitter the New FDA? Should it be? - UPDATE

Posted on May 18, 2010
Last night I posted 'Romaine Lettuce E. coli O145 Outbreak - The FDA to us – ‘You can't handle the truth!'' In a not too subtle way I kept asking the question, why is the FDA not disclosing who 'The Yuma Farm' is? I mean, seriously, Freshway disclosed that they received romaine lettuce from Andrew Smith...

Romaine Lettuce E. coli O145 Outbreak - The FDA to us - "You can't handle the truth!"

Posted on May 16, 2010
What we know to date: There are 23 confirmed and 7 probable E. coli O145 cases related to eating romaine lettuce in Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee manufactured by Freshway Foods and grown by 'the Yuma farm.' Investigators in New York obtained an E...

Montclair Meat Co., Inc., Recalls Ground Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination

Posted on May 16, 2010
According to an FSIS announcement, Montclair Meat Co., Inc., a Montclair, Calif., establishment is recalling approximately 53,000 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today...

30 E. coli O145 cases in Michigan, New York, Ohio and Tennessee linked to Romaine Lettuce - Grower known, but unnamed - so far

Posted on May 15, 2010
The CDC reports this week that a total of 23 confirmed and 7 probable E. coli O145 cases related to this outbreak have been reported from 4 states since March 1, 2010. The number of ill persons identified in each state with this strain is: MI (10 confirmed and 3 probable), NY (4 confirmed and 3 probable), OH (8 confirmed and 1 probable), and TN (1 confirmed)...

Orem and Heber Utah Raw Milk Linked to Salmonella Newport Outbreak - Does the Wisconsin Governor read a Morman Newspaper?

Posted on May 15, 2010
According to the Deseret News, six people, ages 2 to 56, were diagnosed with Salmonella Newport in April, according to Utah County Health Department spokesman Lance Madigan. Four of the cases were in Utah County, with one each in Salt Lake and Wasatch counties...

Orem and Heber Utah Raw Milk Linked to Salmonella Newport Outbreak - Does the Wisconsin Governor read a Mormon Newspaper?

Posted on May 15, 2010
According to the Deseret News, six people, ages 2 to 56, were diagnosed with Salmonella Newport in April, according to Utah County Health Department spokesman Lance Madigan. Four of the cases were in Utah County, with one each in Salt Lake and Wasatch counties...

Blogging from the train between DC and NYC - 24 Hours in DC - Dr. Gupta and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Posted on May 14, 2010
It was a fascinating few hours at a meeting with a delegation from China as they listened to former FSIS head, Tom Billy, CSPI Food Safety Director, Caroline Smith DeWaal and yours truly, talk candidly about the state of affairs of food safety in the United States...

Perhaps Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle gets up early to think about Raw Milk

Posted on May 13, 2010
Rumor has it that Governor Jim Doyle told an online agriculture news site he has not made up his mind one way or another on the raw milk bill the Wisconsin legislature passed. The Governor reportedly told Wisconsin Ag Connection a final decision will be made next week...

Tennessee, New York, Ohio and Michigan linked to E. coli O145 - more to come?

Posted on May 13, 2010
I had a chance tonight after landing in Washington D. C., to chat with Dr. Sanjay Gupta about the status of the 'leafy green's industry.' So far in the recent E. coli O145 outbreak there are 23 confirmed illnesses in four states. However, the Romaine Lettuce has been recalled in 23 states...

Stephanie Smith and Cargill Meat Solutions Settle E. coli Lawsuit

Posted on May 12, 2010
Joint Press Release Stephanie Smith and Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation announce jointly that they have settled the lawsuit filed by Ms. Smith in December 2009. Ms. Smith, a twenty-two year old former dance instructor from Cold Spring, Minnesota, sued for the severe injuries she suffered as a result of an E...

Michigan Daily links lack of USDA regulation to E. coli O145 outbreak

Posted on May 10, 2010
Suzanne Jacobs of the Michigan Daily wrote in her front page story this a.m., 'E. coli outbreak at ‘U' caused by non-USDA regulated strain,' about the failure of most labs, business and health departments to test for pathogenic E. coli other than E...

First E. coli O145 Lawsuit to be Filed in Romaine Lettuce Outbreak

Posted on May 10, 2010
In a day that Federal and State Officials Confirm Link Between Bagged Romaine Lettuce and E. coli O145 Illness Outbreak, Vaughan Foods Recalls Romaine Lettuce Linked to Contamination , E. coli concerns prompt another romaine recall, Lettuce recall expands as FDA investigates Arizona farm as source of E...

More on the Raw Milk Issue

Posted on May 10, 2010
In what seems like a near daily article on raw milk, I gave Georgina Gustin of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (my dad was a paper boy for them during the depression) a few choice words: Bill Marler, an attorney who specializes in food-borne illness cases, recently represented two Missouri residents who were sickened by raw milk...

USDA Announces New Performance Standards for Salmonella and Campylobacter for Chickens and Turkeys in the middle of a Non-E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak

Posted on May 10, 2010
From a USDA /FSIS press release: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced new performance standards to reduce Salmonella and Campylobacter in young chickens (broilers) and turkeys, fulfilling another key recommendation of the President's Food Safety Working Group...

Yuma Arizona cancels the 4th of July and is in denial about source of romaine lettuce E. coli O145 outbreak

Posted on May 09, 2010
It must be the heat.

Food poisoning cause of three deaths in Central State Hospital in Louisiana

Posted on May 09, 2010
I was reading the Town Talk of Pineville and Alexandria (I visited there once and used to have some friends there), Louisiana this evening and read that State officials are suspecting food poisoning as the cause of the deaths of three patients at Central State Hospital...

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