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Salmonella Lawsuit Filed Against Taco Bell

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

A Michigan man who became ill after eating beef tacos has filed suit against Yum Brands, Inc., parent company of Taco Bell and Chicago Diversified Foods Corporation, the franchisor of a Taco Bell restaurant. 
Gary Erdman is being represented by the Seattle-based food safety law firm Marler Clark and the Trenton-based law firm Counard & Heilmann. The food poisoning claim was filed in Muskegon County Circuit Court. 
According to the complaint, Erdman ate four beef tacos at a Taco Bell in Whitehall, Michigan in June, 2010. Three days later he got sick and later had to seek medical attention. He tested positive for Salmonella Baildon, a rare strain of Salmonella. 
Erdman was among 155 people in 21 states who were part of a nationwide Salmonella outbreak traced back to food served at Taco Bell restaurants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that two strains of Salmonella were implicated in the outbreak:  Salmonella Hartford and Salmonella Baildon. The Salmonella Hartford outbreak caused 75 illnesses; the Salmonella Bialdon outbreak caused 80 illnesses.  
"Mr. Erdman has endured large hospital bills and great deal of unnecessary pain and suffering, said Marler Clark attorney David Babcock. "He is entitled to be compensated for what he has lost as a result of the defendant's conduct."
This is the third lawsuit filed by Marler Clark in relation to the 2010 Salmonella outbreak. 
Salmonella is a bacterium that causes one of the most common intestinal infections in the United States - salmonellosis.  A Salmonella infection is characterized by diarrhea, which may be bloody, stomach cramps, and vomiting.  In rare cases, a Salmonella infection can lead to reactive arthritis.

Full post as published by Food Safety News on February 02, 2011 (boomark / email).