Things are heating up for McDonald’s in the wake of the recent E. coli outbreak traced back to Quarter Pounders. This week, Colorado resident Eric Staley became the first person to sue the chain over a series of food poisoning incidents, claiming he contracted a digestive illness just two days after eating there in early October, which was later confirmed to be foodborne bacteria.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first announced the E. coli outbreak on Tuesday, which has reportedly sickened at least 49 people, hospitalized ten, and resulted in one death so far across ten states. Most of the victims had previously consumed Quarter Pounders, although it’s still possible that the actual source of contamination came from the fresh onion slices exclusively used in the burgers. On Wednesday, Staley’s lawyers at Ron Simon and associates filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s in Cook County, Illinois, where the chain’s headquarters are located.
According to the complaint, Staley ate his meal at a McDonald’s restaurant on October 4th (the CDC indicates that the outbreak likely began in late September). Two days later, he started experiencing nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, dehydration, bloody stool, often a sign of certain E. coli infections. By October 8th, he was so ill that he sought care in the emergency room, where his doctor collected a stool sample for testing. Days later, officials at the Will County Health Department informed Staley that his test result was positive for E. coli. He is said to be still recovering from his illness.
While most E. coli cases are nothing more than unpleasant, the strain involved in this outbreak – O157:H7 – is known to produce toxins that can increase the risk of serious, life-threatening complications, especially Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). This condition causes damage to blood vessels in individuals, which can lead to widespread organ damage, particularly to the kidneys. At least one person in the current outbreak has developed HUS, although it is not the same person who died after contracting the infection. Vulnerable populations, such as very young children or those with weakened immune systems, are at higher risk of serious E. coli and other foodborne germ infections.
Foodborne disease outbreaks tend to be much larger than reported, as only a small percentage of people become sick enough to seek external medical care. But Staley may not be McDonald’s only legal liability. The law firm representing Staley claims to represent ten other claimants who were harmed by eating there, and have since set up a website for other potential plaintiffs to contact them.
“McDonald’s E. coli outbreak will be one of this year’s most significant food poisoning cases. Through this lawsuit and others, we will ensure full compensation for all victims for their losses, and that their voices are heard, and that McDonald’s and its suppliers fix the health violations that caused food contamination permanently,” attorney Ron Simon said in a statement issued by the firm.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s claims that the chopped onions suspected to be behind the outbreak were sourced by a single supplier serving three distribution centers. The company temporarily halted onion distribution to affected areas and instructed all local restaurants to remove the product from their supplies; they also temporarily stopped serving Quarter Pounders in states where cases have been identified.
