McDonald’s sued over E. coli outbreak

Two lawsuits have been filed against McDonald’s in connection with E. coli outbreak connected to the Quarter Pounders, including by a Nebraska woman who said she went to the emergency room.

Clarissa DeBock, 33, a receptionist at a surgery center in North Platte, Nebraska, said in a lawsuit filed Oct. 24 that she ate a quarter-pound meal at a local McDonald’s on Sept. 18 and went to the emergency room a week later. She tested positive for E. Coli O157:H7, according to court records.

“The cramps were probably the worst part,” DeBock told the magazine. NBC News“Maggie Vespa. “I still have lasting effects right now. I could just tell there was something wrong with the cramps just because they were so bad.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Oct. 22 that E. Coli O157:H7 was linked to an outbreak that resulted in 49 hospitalizations and one death. in 10 states.

DeBock told NBC News she didn’t feel anything unusual while eating the quarter pounder and was grateful she didn’t bite her 2-year-old son.

“I don’t know if I trust eating out for a while, especially with my son, just because it was a close call,” DeBock said. “It’s pretty scary to think about.”

According to the lawsuit, she sued McDonald’s seeking more than $50,000 in damages for pain and suffering, physical impairment and disfigurement, “loss of enjoyment of life,” medical expenses, emotional distress, lost wages and lost earning capacity.

DeBock’s lawsuit follows one filed Oct. 23 by Colorado resident Eric Stelly, who said he ate a Quarter Pounder from a McDonald’s in Greeley on Oct. 4 and went to the emergency room four days later, according to court records.

Stelly said he also tested positive for the E. Coli O157:H7 strain and is continuing to recover from the effects of food poisoning, according to court documents. He is seeking the same compensation as DeBock.

Stelly and DeBock are represented by attorney Ron Simon of Ron Simon & Associates, who told NBC News he is representing 15 plaintiffs. He has not yet filed suit on behalf of the other 13 people.

“We have one of our clients who was in hospital for over a week and in this particular case he developed sepsis and his kidneys became infected,” Simon told Vespa. “And once that happens to a patient, it becomes very, very dangerous and life-threatening.”

McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger said TODAY October 23, 2024 The company is “very confident that you can go to McDonald’s and enjoy our classics.” He added that Quarter Pounder is temporarily off the menu in states affected by the outbreak.

“So I want to tell our consumers that you can go to McDonald’s today with confidence,” Erlinger said.

An investigation by McDonald’s found that illnesses may be linked to sliced ​​onions in quarter-pound cans that were owned by one supplier, according to press release.

“All local restaurants have been directed to remove this product from their supply, and we have suspended distribution of all chopped onions in the affected area,” said Cesar Piña, director of supply chain for McDonald’s North America. the release says.

Supplier US Foods announced Oct. 23 that Colorado-based Taylor Farms has released notice of revocation for yellow large peeled, diced and whole onions “due to potential E. coli contamination.”

After an E. coli outbreak Taco Bell, Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut hourAI haveI’ll pull the bow from a number of their restaurants because they receive a percentage of their onions from Taylor Farms.