Personal Injury Law

I Put a Number of My Favorite Food "Gross-Out" Stories Over at www.foodpoisonblog.com

Posted on May 09, 2009
Over the years we have heard of too many food "gross-out" stories to recall them all.  Honestly, we have taken on none of them as clients.  I posted several of my favorites over at www.foodpoisonblog.com.  However, this one is by far my favorite (click below to download):

In the Footsteps of John Snow, MD

Posted on May 09, 2009
Off to London Sunday and plan to revisit the site of what many consider to be the birth of Epidemiology – SOHO, the Broad Street Pump and the works of Dr. John Snow, who in 1854 determined that the cholera outbreak sweeping the area was related to the water coming from the Broad Street Pump...

The Community Summary Report on Food-Borne Outbreaks in The European Union in 2007

Posted on May 08, 2009
I am heading to London Sunday for a series of lectures on food safety and just in time the EU put out its report on foodborne diseases for 2007.  Full report - Here. In total, 5,609 food-borne outbreaks were reported by MSs in 2007 that is a slight decrease of 2...

William D. Marler - Speech Before the House of Lords dinner, May 12, 2009 - How one Peanut Company caused $1.5 Billion in Losses: The story of PCA

Posted on May 08, 2009
The recall of Salmonella-tainted peanuts and peanut products processed and produced by the Peanut Corporation of America has caused one of the largest food recalls in US history; almost 4000 products made by hundreds of companies have been withdrawn, and the number is still growing...

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William D. Marler, Esquire - Speech Before the House of Lords dinner - How one Peanut Company caused $1.5 Billion in Losses

Posted on May 08, 2009
The recall of Salmonella-tainted peanuts and peanut products processed and produced by the Peanut Corporation of America has caused one of the largest food recalls in US history; almost 4000 products made by hundreds of companies have been withdrawn, and the number is still growing...

I Thought Obama Liked the Press? So, Why Did He Order Their Burgers Not Cooked?

Posted on May 07, 2009
OK, I promise to stop blogging about the "obamaburger heard around the world."  So, why did Obama order his and Joe's burgers medium well (arguably cooked) and ordered the press's medium (clearly undercooked)?  Also, can anyone find a thermometer?

Obama Eating A Burger - A "Teachable Moment" in Food Safety

Posted on May 07, 2009
So, what is the big deal? President Obama ordered a medium-well burger for himself and the VP, and ordered medium burgers for the press – in a restaurant with a spotty food safety record that does not use, or may not even have, a thermometer. Forgoing the phrase 'teachable moment' for a bit, I would like to get right to the 'meat' of the matter...

CDC Reports Outbreak of Salmonella Serotype Saintpaul Infections Associated with Eating Alfalfa Sprouts

Posted on May 07, 2009
From the MMWR Today - Since February 1, a total of 228 cases have been reported from 13 states: Nebraska (110 cases), Iowa (35), South Dakota (35), Michigan (18), Kansas (eight), Pennsylvania (seven), Minnesota (five), Ohio (three), Illinois (two), West Virginia (two), Florida (one), North Carolina (one), and Utah (one) (Figure 2)...

Mr. President, Eating an Undercooked E. coli O157:H7-Tainted Hamburger Could Have Resulted in Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

Posted on May 07, 2009
As much as any other victim of the 2006 Dole Spinach Outbreak, Suzanne Bandy's case is about the staggering contrast between past and present.  When asked for her thoughts, Suzanne wrote of her first 57 years: 'very simply, my life embodied the American Dream...

American Food Safety Advocate and Attorney William Marler to Address Conference of Canadian Health Inspectors

Posted on May 06, 2009
I am working on revising my keynote address to the 75th annual gathering of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors in the morning.   Below is the PowerPoint.  The embedded videos (and others) can be found HERE People ask me why I do these speeches (for free) to governments in the US, Canada, China, Australia and England...

Obama Orders and Eats a Medium Well Burger - Did it have E. coli O157:H7 in it? What was the Internal Temperature? Is he going to Die?

Posted on May 06, 2009
I made it to Canada today on a planeload of tourists wearing masks (not clear whom they are protecting) to give the Keynote Address to the 75th annual gathering of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors Wednesday morning.   Checking in at the Lodge at Kananaskis (where it is snowing), a nice inspector (aren't all Canadians nice?) came up to me and introduced himself...

Ray's Hell Burger, a.k.a. Butcher Burger, 1713 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, Home of the now Eaten "Obama Burger" had Critical Food Safety Violations

Posted on May 06, 2009
Being that I can nearly see Alaska from my Hotel Room here in Canada, a loud 'shout out' to Stephen Leary and the folks at Barf Blog for checking into the food safety record of Ray's Hell Burger, a.k.a. Butcher Burger, 1713 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA – AFTER the President ate there...

Salmonella Sprout Lawsuit Linked to Sprouts and Seeds

Posted on May 06, 2009
Today we amended our complaint on behalf of 'Daniel Krim, 49, [who] became ill after eating alfalfa sprouts on a turkey sandwich he purchased from a La Vista restaurant in late February. His flu-like symptoms worsened, forcing him to go to the emergency room at Midlands Hospital in Papillion...

Cinco de Mayo - Lou Dobbs favorite Holiday? Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Linked to Mexican-Styled Restaurants and Products

Posted on May 05, 2009
My guess is that Cinco de Mayo is Lou Dobbs favorite holiday.  I know, he seems to make such a big deal about those damn "illegal immigrants," but he knows that you can count on one hand how many foodborne illness outbreaks have been caused by Mexican, or for that matter any foreign food product...

Dr. Richard Besser (acting head of CDC), Swine Flu (H1N1), E. coli O157:H7, Apple Cider and Bill Marler have what in Common?

Posted on May 05, 2009
OK, it is 2:00 AM and the power is out after a wind a rain and storm on Bainbridge Island. Fortunately, my laptop has batteries and I have a wireless card. I am also wondering where my passport is since I leave for Canada in 12 hours. But, hopefully the morning will find it – somewhere...

New York Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination

Posted on May 05, 2009
FSIS announced this evening that Alex & George Wholesale, Inc., a Rochester, New York firm, is recalling approximately 4,663 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.  The following products are subject to recall: * 10-pound poly bag of "A & G Brand BULK GROUND BEEF" * 10-pound poly bag of "A & G Brand 'HOT SAUCE' SPECIAL BLEND" * 25-pound poly bag of "A & G Brand BULK GROUND BEEF" * 30-pound poly bag of "A & G Brand BULK GROUND BEEF" * 10-pound case of (3-1) "A & G Brand GROUND BEEF PATTIES" * 10-pound case of (5-1) "A & G Brand GROUND BEEF PATTIES" * 10-pound case of "A & G Brand 'Homestyle Press' GROUND BEEF PATTIES" * 10-pound case of (6-1) "A & G Brand GROUND BEEF PATTIES" * Cases containing 48, 4...

Marler Clark Clients Take Capitol Hill - www.makeourfoodsafe.org

Posted on May 04, 2009
Bill, Lindsey will be sending you her perspective also.  Click Here. What an experience! The energy, spirit and determination of all of these people that united for one common cause was evident the minute we walked into the hotel. Victims, lobbyists, consumer advocacy groups, all with one mission…help make our food safe...

More Feedback from Marler Clark Clients After Visiting Washington DC

Posted on May 04, 2009
Bill, I loved being a part of the Lobby Day for food safety. Thanks for passing my name along to be a part of it. I've written a few thoughts if you want to post it. I'm looking forward to continue to fight. April 29, 2009 was a significant day for President Obama as it marked his 100th day in office...

GMA Foodborne Illness Litigation Conference

Posted on May 04, 2009
On May 7, Denis Stearns will be making a presentation in New Orleans at the GMA Foodborne Illness Litigation Conference. The title of his presentation is Lessons Learned Recent Outbreaks and Recalls, with a subtitle of 2007-2008, The Salmonella Years & The Lessons We Learned...

Man Infects Pigs with Swine Flu - Errr - H1N1 Virus

Posted on May 03, 2009
The WHO reports this morning that a farm worker in Canada has infected a herd of pigs with swine flu, the first documented case of the virus being passed from humans to animals.  The herd of pigs tested positive for the H1N1 virus after the worker returned from Mexico with the disease...

Settlements in E. coli O157:H7 Cases

Posted on May 02, 2009
On October 22, The General Communicable Disease Control Branch (GCDC) of North Carolina was contacted by a guest and family member of the bride to report an outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by E. coli O157:H7, associated with a catered wedding reception held in Raleigh on October 13, 2007...

Hepatitis A Lawsuits Settled

Posted on May 02, 2009
In late April 2008, San Diego County health officials announced that a number of Hepatitis A (HAV) infections had been traced to a Chipotle Grill restaurant in La Mesa, California, near San Diego. Officials advised customers who had eaten at the restaurant between March 1 and April 22 that they might be at risk for infection...

E. coli O157:H7 Litigation Linked to Hamburger Settled

Posted on May 01, 2009
In June of 2007, United Food Group, LLC (UFG) recalled 5.7 million pounds of ground beef products after a joint investigation into an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak by Colorado and California health officials in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) led to the conclusion that UFG ground beef was the source of the outbreak...

FDA Botulism Report - Castleberry's Canned Chili

Posted on May 01, 2009
On July 7, 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ('CDC') learned that two siblings in Texas were critically ill with botulism and that their illnesses were likely acquired by eating contaminated food. Four days later on July 11, public health officials in Indiana reported to the CDC that a married couple in Indiana were suspected of having foodborne botulism...

The Last of the Salmonella Serotype I 4,5,12:i:-* Pot Pie Cases Settled

Posted on May 01, 2009
In 2007 Public health officials from several states collaborated to determine the source of the outbreak, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially announced that a Salmonella serotype I 4,5,12:i:-* outbreak had been traced to the consumption of ConAgra pot pies on October 9th...

"Market Withdraw" of Italian Alfalfa Seeds Distributed by Caudill Seed Company Linked to Salmonella Sprouts Outbreak

Posted on May 01, 2009
I think a "Market Withdraw" is like being "a little pregnant."  But, it is not a Recall - or, is it? The FDA just reported that preliminary epidemiology regarding the ongoing outbreak of illness from Salmonella Saintpaul in people who had eaten alfalfa sprouts was shared with the supplier of the seeds associated with illness...

Investigation of an Outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul Infections Linked to Raw Alfalfa Sprouts - Whose Seeds are They? Why No Recall Of Seeds?

Posted on May 01, 2009
The CDC reports that since mid-March, 35 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Saintpaul have been reported from 7 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Michigan (17), Minnesota (4), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (6), South Dakota (2), Utah (1), and West Virginia (2)...

National Environmental Health Association Annual Educational Conference

Posted on April 30, 2009
NEHA is having its Annual Education Conference in Atlanta June 21 through 24.  Click below for brochure: I will be speaking at some point, so making your way to Atlanta is worth it.  A bit about NEHA: NEHA's Origin The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) had its origins in the state of California where it was incorporated in 1937...

Salmonella-tainted Pudding Linked to New Hampshire Mixer

Posted on April 30, 2009
New Hampshire state health officials say a mixer used to make pudding was the source of salmonella that sickened children at a camp in Madison this month.  The Stone Environmental Camp voluntarily closed last week, and is looking forward to reopening, now that the source has been identified...

Since Stewart Parnell Got the Boot - Peanut Standards Board nominations - USDA AMS is seeking nominations for terms of office ending June 30, 2011, and June 30, 2012.

Posted on April 30, 2009
For those who have forgotten, after Stewart Parnell, former President of the Peanut Corporation of America, was booted as a Board member of the Peanut Standards Board, a vacancy arose.  My suggestion for a replacement - ME!  More information below: Organization: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Summary: The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Peanut Standards Board for the purpose of advising the Secretary on quality and handling standards for domestically produced and imported peanuts...

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