Personal Injury Law

Salmonella Lawsuit to be Filed Amid Continuing Outbreak Linked to Sprouts

Posted on April 30, 2009
We will be filing yet another lawsuit stemming from a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella-tainted sprouts was filed today in the Tenth District Court for Sarpy County, Nebraska. Bellevue resident Daniel Krim, one of 121 people sickened in the February-March 2009 outbreak...

Another Day of Emails, Lawsuits and Blogging - The Life of a Lawyer

Posted on April 30, 2009
It is sunny and nearly 70 here in Seattle - Shhh, don't tell anyone.  I was heading to the ferry to go home and decided to finish up some emails.  Here is one I just got from someone that I kindly declined to help: I have in my posession a plastic bag of salt that i purchased here in walnut creek that made me extremly ill...

Petting Zoos - Still Dangerous - E. coli O157:H7

Posted on April 30, 2009
I was reading the CDC's MMWR article – 'Outbreak of Shiga Toxin--Producing Escherichia coli O157 Infection Associated with a Day Camp Petting Zoo --- Pinellas County, Florida, May--June 2007' and it struck me how humans seem nearly incapable of learning for the past...

Wisconsin Warns of Salmonella Spinach in Wisconsin and Illinois

Posted on April 30, 2009
Wisconsin officials are recommending residents throw away bags of spinach distributed by a Milwaukee food processor after some tested positive for salmonella. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says consumers should discard 10-ounce bags of Kleen-Pak curly-leaf fresh spinach with use-by dates of April 29, April 30 and May 1...

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On A Day That Others Are Walking the Halls of Congress for Food Safety, Ruby is There in Spirit.

Posted on April 30, 2009
Ruby would have liked to have been there too.  Her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren stood up for Ruby by suing the companies whose E. coli O157:H7 product took her life long before her time.  This is yet another video of another victim of the "safest food supply in the world...

Marler Clark - Past and Present Clients off to Washington DC to Lobby on Behalf of Safe Food.

Posted on April 29, 2009
Many of our past and present clients are in Washington DC today lobbying on behalf of all of us to get congress to pass meaningful food safety legislation. Lindsey and Michael Jennings (MI) – Lindsey became ill in 2008 in the Aunt Mids E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak linked to lettuce grown in California...

CDC - Investigation of an Outbreak of 35 Salmonella Saintpaul Infections Linked to Raw Alfalfa Sprouts in Michigan (17), Minnesota (4), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (6), South Dakota (2), Utah (1) - Manufacturers, Suppliers, Restaurants, Grocery Stores Unnamed

Posted on April 28, 2009
CDC is collaborating with public health officials in many states and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of human infections due to Salmonella serotype Saintpaul. Since mid-March, 35 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Saintpaul have been reported from 7 states...

My Daughter - First Woman President? - At Her High School Anyway

Posted on April 27, 2009
The campaign for Student Body President is in full swing at Bainbridge Island High School.  If elected, Morgan will be one of the first female presidents.  I'll post on the election outcome.

16 Years After Jack in the Box E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak, Brianne Kiner's Story is Still Hard to Watch

Posted on April 27, 2009
In 1993, Jack in the Box suffered a major foodborne illness outbreak involving E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. Four children died of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), hundreds were hospitalized and 600 others were reported sick after eating undercooked patties contaminated with fecal material containing the bacteria at locations in California, Washington, Idaho and Nevada...

Its Been 16 Years Since the Jack in the Box E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak and Brianne Kiner's Story is Still Hard to Watch

Posted on April 27, 2009
In 1993, Jack in the Box suffered a major foodborne illness outbreak involving E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. Four children died of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), hundreds were hospitalized and 600 others were reported sick after eating undercooked patties contaminated with fecal material containing the bacteria at locations in California, Washington, Idaho and Nevada...

Thirty-Three Sprout Linked Outbreaks Since 1990 Sicked 2,166

Posted on April 26, 2009
Ben Chapman, over at Bites, published a very complete list of Sprout Outbreaks Since 1990. Since 1990, raw or slightly cooked sprouts have caused an estimated 2,166 illnesses, through 33 outbreaks (actually - 37 outbreaks, 2,273 illnesses). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates that sprout-link outbreaks account for 40 per cent of all food-borne illness associated with produce...

DO NOT EAT SPROUTS - FDA Tells Consumers on a Sunday Afternoon - Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia Implicated

Posted on April 26, 2009
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today not to eat raw alfalfa sprouts, saying they may be contaminated with Salmonella. The contamination appears to be in seeds so washing the sprouts may not help, the FDA said in a statement...

Forbes Editor Champions Tort Plaintiffs Lawyers - ABA Reprints

Posted on April 25, 2009
Spoke with Sarah Randag of the ABA last evening after she "shouted out" the Forbes editorial giving a "tip o' the hat" to what I do.  Generally, the ABA tends to look down on the lawyers that represent victims, so perhaps there is a positive trend here? Editor William Baldwin calls attention to an epidemic in a commentary piece in the May issue of Forbes: foodborne illness...

Salmonella Sickens 31 in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia - Who Produced Them? Where Were They Sold? FDA is Silent - So Far.

Posted on April 25, 2009
FDA held a call Saturday, April 25 to inform industry (but not consumers) of a forthcoming FDA press release (today or tomorrow?) related to an outbreak of Salmonella SaintPaul linked to alfalfa sprouts - AGAIN. The multi-state outbreak began mid-March and is ongoing...

The Fight for Safe Food - The Facts, Quotes and Opinions of 16 Years of Fighting for Consumers

Posted on April 25, 2009
As one reporter I spoke to last week noted: The Facts: The law firm of Marler and Clark has represented victims from every major food borne illness since 1993. Marler has fought for the rights of victims of food-borne illnesses for more than 16 years now and says in that time he has seen no laws tightened to protect consumers...

Off to the "other side of the pond."

Posted on April 24, 2009
I sat for a few hours in the Atlanta airport last night during a thunder storm so had some time to finish up my PowerPoint for my speech in a few weeks in London before the Royal Society for Public Health.  Here is the PowerPoint - there will be two added videos - which one to use?: Product Liability in England & Wales General Liability Principles Product liability claims in England may be made under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 ('CPA'), in negligence or in respect of breach of contract...

Forbes Interview with Bill Marler

Posted on April 24, 2009
Had a great chat with William Baldwin of Forbes Magazine for his opinion piece - "Needed: Tort Lawyers" - in the last week about the status of our Nation's food supply. This interview may be a first for Forbes – that did not skin this trial lawyer alive, nor dip me in a vat of boiling ink...

Larry King and Stewart Parnell have what in common?

Posted on April 23, 2009
Press coverage for Georgia Trip: PCA plant conditions 'disturbing' Attorney: Mice, leaky roof found at Georgia nut plant I finally made it into the Blakely, Georgia Peanut Corporation of America plant.  Despite being scrubbed a bit in the last few months, we still found mice and cockroaches in the plant with several spots where the roof had been clearly leaking...

Plainview Texas - Former Home of Peanut Corporation of America Salmonella Plant

Posted on April 22, 2009
Well, made it from Seattle to Dallas to Lubbock to Plainview today. Had a great steak dinner at the 'Rockin' R Steak House.' They did not have a beer or wine list because they share a back door with their neighbor, the Baptist Church.  We parked across the street and had little fear of being hit by a car (or anything else) as we crossed the street...

Busy Day in the Salmonella Peanut World

Posted on April 22, 2009
Peanut victims' lawyers visit Plainview plant Minnesota man's family sues over his death Lawyer in salmonella lawsuits tours Texas plant Lawyer says Plainview plant may not be at fault

Bulletproof Blog - What's Next: The Plaintiff's Perspective - Bill Marler on Looming Food Supply Crises

Posted on April 22, 2009
I had a great chat last week with Larry Smith - Each week Bulletproof Blog interviews top plaintiffs' attorneys for their perspective on the crises likely to affect businesses in the near future. In this issue, we talk to Bill Marler of the Seattle-based Marler Clark, LLP PS...

90% of the peanut business is mental - the other half is hard work!

Posted on April 22, 2009
So, said the white board in the manager's office in the Plainview, Texas Peanut Corporation of America Plant that I visited today. I guess that did not translate into dealing with leaking roofs, mice and cockroaches.

Charity Dollars for Twitter Followers, The ABA Journal Lends a Hand (or at least, some Ink)

Posted on April 21, 2009
This morning I spoke to Debra Weiss of the ABA Journal, who had heard about my twitter challenge and was writing a story on it.  We chatted at about 5:30 a.m., as I was on my way to the airport.  By the time my plane was boarding, the story was online...

The Public Inquiry into the September 2005 Outbreak of E. coli O157 in South Wales

Posted on April 20, 2009
As I said last week, I have the great honor to once again speak before the Royal Society for Public Health in London next month. My Power Point is due (two days ago), but I got a bit distracted by my twitter challenge and 'kid stuff' over the weekend...

Governor Gregoire Addresses the Food Safety Conference - April 11, 2008

Posted on April 20, 2009
A year ago I hosted a great food safety conference (thinking of doing so again in 2010) entitled "Who is Minding the Store."  Governor Gregoire said what everyone was, and should be, thinking: Maybe our goal here should be to put Bill Marler right out of business...

Marler Clark Files Peanut Butter Salmonella Lawsuit For Family of Minnesota Man - Korean War Veteran Felled by Contaminated Peanut Butter

Posted on April 20, 2009
Clifford Tousignant, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and decorated veteran of the Korean War, died in January, 2009, after eating Salmonella-contaminated peanut butter served in the nursing home where he lived in Brainard, MN. His family is filing suit against Kanan Enterprises, the makers of King Nut peanut butter...

The Impact on Global Commerce on Food Safety and Liability

Posted on April 20, 2009

Campylobacter Sickens Eleven With Raw Milk From Kinkin Corner Dairy

Posted on April 19, 2009
I talked with Katharhynn Heidelberg of the Montrose Daily Press about yet another raw milk outbreak: Seattle attorney Bill Marler said that doesn't mean raw milk is safe. Marler has represented several clients, or their survivors, in food-borne illness cases, even taking on Con-Agra...

Ashton Kutcher Gets 1M Followers on Twitter For 10,000 Bed Nets to Fight Malaria in Africa - Great Charity - I'll give $25,000 to Charity for 25,000 Followers - What Charity?

Posted on April 18, 2009
The battle to become the owner of the first Twitter account that has 1 million followers has ended.  It was a clash between the old TV, represented now by CNNbrk (CNN breaking news), and the new kid on the block Ashton Kutcher.  Ashton Kutcher won the battle to become the first Twitter millionaire...

An Agenda for Strengthening State and Local Roles in the Nation's Food Safety System

Posted on April 17, 2009

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