Personal Injury Law

Export Marler to China and Export E. coli Lettuce to Canada

By Bill Marler, Esq.

Although still not quite in the right time zone, I was able to get a few lawsuits filed in the US, but still thinking how I might help the US Balance of Trade Deficit with China, by exporting a few lawsuits as well.  It seems, however, that US Industry has beat me to Canada.  The bagged and shredded lettuce the hospital used to make chopped salad for patients came from the same company (Aunt Mid's) that is believed to have distributed tainted lettuce in Michigan, Windsor-Essex County Medical Officer of Health Dr. Allen Heimann said at a news conference.

There were no confirmed E. coli cases on Wednesday, but health officials are asking anyone who was a patient at Met hospital between September. 9 and 12, who ate chopped salad there and is experiencing diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting - common symptoms of an E. coli infection - to see a doctor right away.  The hospital hopes to have by Friday a complete list of every patient who ate salad at the hospital during that time and has pledged to contact each one.  As many as 164 patients ate the possibly tainted lettuce, hospital officials said.

In the US, Michigan now confirms that there are now four cases in Kent County, nine cases at Michigan State University, five cases at the Lenawee County Jail, three cases in Washtenaw County- all of which are University of Michigan students- four cases in Wayne County, five in Macomb County and one case in Clare and Oakland Counties.  Of those cases, 13 have been hospitalized.  That is not counting the cases in Illinois, Ohio, New York and Oregon.

OK, so why is Aunt Mid's not telling us who supplied the lettuce?  My sources say it may well not be Michigan, the Central Valley of California, nor the Salinas Valley that are the source of the tainted-lettuce.  So, who is left?  FDA Food Czar, where are you?  Aunt Mid's, what you need is a nice lawsuit to get to the bottom of who supplied you the lettuce and got you into this pickle, Errrr, tossed salad.

Full post as published by Marler Blog on October 02, 2008 (boomark / email).