Personal Injury Law

Del Monte Has Recalled Salmonella Cantaloupe Before?

Posted on March 23, 2011
In 2009 the California state department of public health warned consumers not to eat Del Monte brand whole cantaloupe sold between Oct. 5 and 16 at Northern California and Nevada Raley's, Bel Air, Nob Hill Foods and Food Sources stores. Dr. Mark Horton, the department's director, said these stores are voluntarily recalling 1,120 cartons of the cantaloupe after routine testing detected Salmonella...

Don't Let Congress Threaten Your Health and (Food) Safety

Posted on March 23, 2011
On a morning with the news is Liz Taylor's death, radiation in Tokyo's drinking water and more bombing in Libya, thanks to the folks at Food and Water Watch for applying humor to a serious topic:

2010-2011 Legislative Session: Raw Milk Bills and Related Legislation

Posted on March 22, 2011
State Bill Description Status Link California (Humbolt County) O 512.4 Citizen request to rescind County Ordinance banning raw milk sales Request denied by Board of Supervisors (5-0) http://co.humboldt.ca.us/board/agenda/questys/mg210103/as210151/as210154/ai210803/do210804/bosagendaitem...

Four with E. coli O157:H7 linked to Palmyra Bologna in New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania

Posted on March 22, 2011
Palmyra Bologna Company, Inc., a Palmyra, Penn., establishment, is recalling approximately 23,000 pounds of Lebanon bologna products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today...

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2010-2011 Legislative Session: Raw Milk Bills and Related Legislation

Posted on March 22, 2011
2010 to 2011 raw milk bills.pdf

Avvo Gives Marler Clark a 10.0 Superb Rating

Posted on March 21, 2011
Avvo, a recent entry into the attorney rating market was kind enough to give William Marler a: Could not do it without the staff.

Are we due for a Salmonella serotype Panama Cantaloupe Outbreak?

Posted on March 21, 2011
S. Panama is relatively rare – ranked 20th out of 100 in 1968-1998 data. Thanks to www.outbreakdatabase.com, I can search for Cantaloupe and Salmonella outbreaks.  Here are a few: Multistate Unknown Location Cantaloupe, November 2008, 10 ill persons - A confirmed outbreak of Salmonella Javiana (10 ill persons) occurred in multiple states...

Radiation Impacts Spinach and Milk on Japan

Posted on March 20, 2011
According to a variety of press reports, Japan announced the first signs that contamination from its tsunami-crippled nuclear complex have seeped into the food chain, saying that radiation levels in spinach and milk from farms near the facility exceeded government safety limits...

Cheese Factory Halts Production Due to E. coli Risk

Posted on March 20, 2011
The Tillamook Cheese Factory halted production and stopped serving food Friday and Saturday after fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria were found in the local water supply. The Kilchis Regional Water System, which includes the cheese factory, Bay City, Northwood, Latimer and Juno, was under a boil water alert after the contaminants were detected March 17...

Dead Lawyers Have No Enemies

Posted on March 20, 2011
From Scott Greenfield over at Simple Justice - A New York Criminal Defense Blog: In a recent post, products liability lawyer Bill Marler wrote about his adversary in a case making a presentation to an industry group that used him, his face, his name, an image of a pile of money and a lawyer chasing an ambulance, as the poster boy for all that's wrong and evil plaintiff's lawyers...

300 Cases of Serrano Peppers Recalled Due to Salmonella Risk

Posted on March 19, 2011
300 cases of Serrano peppers were recalled due to Salmonella risk by World Variety Produce, Inc., of Los Angeles. The recalled peppers were sold in Walmart stores in Wisconsin, Montana, Utah and Wyoming and Jewel-Osco stores in Illinois between the dates of March 1 through March 18.

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"

Posted on March 18, 2011
Perhaps that has another meaning than what occurred tonight at Green Valley High School.  Several hundred students and parents came out in support of the Rivera family in their two-year battle against E. coli O157:H7.  I was proud and honored to be a part of the celebration and to donate $100,000 for High School science scholarships, support of special education and for the wrestling program...

When the WSJ reports on the overuse of antibiotics, we should all pay attention

Posted on March 17, 2011
In 2005, despite many detractors, I was asked to give the keynote speech at the CDC PulseNet Conference held in Seattle. During and after my talk, the world did not stop revolving and the sun did come up the next day (although in Seattle it is always a bit hazy)...

FSIS Steps In to Lower Salmonella and Campylobacter Bacteria in Chickens and Turkeys

Posted on March 17, 2011
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published a Federal Register Notice on May 14, 2010 (75 FR 27288) in which it announced the forthcoming implementation of new performance standards for the pathogenic micro-organisms Salmonella and Campylobacter for chilled carcasses in young chicken (broiler) and turkey slaughter establishments...

Some Food Producers Urge Congress NOT To Fund Safe Food

Posted on March 16, 2011
I was able to access a letter to Congress from the following PR hacks of some in the food industry: American Bakers Association, American Frozen Food Institute, American Meat Institute, Frozen Potato Products Institute, Independent Bakers Association, International Bottled Water Association, National Chicken Council, National Confectioners Association, National Fisheries Institute, National Frozen Pizza Institute, National Grain and Feed Association, National Meat Association, Pet Food Institute, Produce Marketers Association, Snack Food Association, United Egg Producers, United Fresh Produce Association Their argument is simple – 'While ensuring the safety of the U...

Michigan State University Receives USDA E. coli Grant

Posted on March 15, 2011
Michigan State University has received a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop strategies to reduce the amount of E. coli released by cattle, and in effect, decrease the number of foodborne illness in humans. The project, which is being led by Shannon Manning, molecular biologist and epidemiologist in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at MSU, will work to reduce cattle's fecal 'shedding' of shiga toxin-producing E...

The Marler Clark Network: A complete Guide to Foodborne Illness

Posted on March 15, 2011
Over the last two decades, we have created over 30 websites focused on foodborne illnesses - the bugs that sicken us as well as the medical complications.  All of the sites have been a collaboration between the lawyers and staff at Marler Clark as well as the best experts in the field...

Poisoned - The True Story of the Deadly E. coli Outbreak That Changed the Way Americans Eat

Posted on March 15, 2011
Coming to your favorite bookstore this spring is a well-written tale by author Jeff Benedict about the 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli Outbreak that rocked the fast food and beef industries and launched the career of one young trial lawyer. Although I lived through much of this (18 years ago), I learned a lot of from Jeff's interiviews that I had not know before...

A Food Poisoning Alphabet - GBS (Guillain Barre Syndrome), HUS (Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome), IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and RA (Reactive Arthritis)

Posted on March 14, 2011
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 48 million-foodborne illness cases occur in the United States every year. At least 128,000 Americans are hospitalized, and 3,000 die after eating contaminated food.  Clearly, the vast majority of people become ill, but not seriously so...

Explaining Gastroenteritis with food safety attorney Bill Marler

Posted on March 14, 2011

The 411 on Botulism, Campylobacter, E. coli, Hepatitis A, Listeria, Salmonella and Shigella

Posted on March 14, 2011
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 48 million-foodborne illness cases occur in the United States every year. At least 128,000 Americans are hospitalized, and 3,000 die after eating contaminated food. Here are some of the main players: Botulism is a rare but potentially life-threatening bacterial illness...

When lawyers for companies you have sued use you as the Bogey Man, you have to be doing something right

Posted on March 12, 2011
When defense counsel for multi-billion dollar Cargill (who I sued on behalf of Stephanie Smith and others in a 2007 E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak) paints me as the industry Bogey Man in his presentation before the American Council for Food Safety & Quality: "Lessons Learned from Recent Foodborne Illness Outbreaks and Recalls," I clearly am doing my job, and doing it well: The ambulance chaser B...

Creekstone Farms Premium Beef Recalls 14,158 Pounds of E. coli-tainted Ground Beef from Arizona, California, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Washington

Posted on March 11, 2011
Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, an Arkansas City, Kan., establishment, is recalling approximately 14,158 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced...

2011 Food Defense Summit

Posted on March 11, 2011
On March 22, I'll be heading to Denver for the Food Defense Summit, a.k.a. 'The summit created by food manufacturing executives, for food manufacturing executives' to give my perspective on keeping their businesses out of lawsuits – or as I like to call it: safer food production...

Interview with Fruit Grower Magazine on the Food Safety Modernization Act

Posted on March 10, 2011
I had an nice chat a few weeks ago with the folks over at Fruit Grower Magazine on their cover story on the Food Safety Modernization Act - An Opposing View - The nation's top consumer advocate/attorney on food safety says the bill will benefit many growers...

Support Wisconsin and US workers - Support a nationwide general strike Friday

Posted on March 10, 2011
My mom and dad were both public employee union teachers.  They worked hard all their lives teaching kids and young adults.  My brother is a union plumber.  In honor of my parents, my brother and Wisconsin and other state union workers who are fighting for their rights, I am closing my law firm early on Friday and I urge law firms all across the country to do the same...

Wisconsin, Minnesota and MichiganE. coli Recall Update on D. DeFranco & Sons, Sunripe, George Packing, Firestone Farms and Northwest Hazelnuts

Posted on March 09, 2011
Routine surveillance activities by health departments in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan identified seven E. coli O157:H7 cases with the same DNA fingerprint with onsets between December 20, 2010 and January 28, 2011. Three have been identified in Wisconsin, three in Minnesota and one in Michigan...

Nut Recalls unrelated to Foodborne Illness Outbreaks since 2004

Posted on March 09, 2011
Given my job, it is little wonder that I tend to focus on the problems with a product when it actually causes illnesses.  There are, however, times when looking at recalls can also make you aware of problems that seem to repeat themselves. March 2011 – Skippy Peanut Butter: Salmonella Unilever United States, Inc...

A Few Decades of Bad Mixed Nuts - List of nut-based outbreaks from Outbreak Database and CDC database

Posted on March 09, 2011
December 2010 – Multistate DeFranco and Sons In Shell Hazelnuts An outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 was associated with eating DeFanco and Sons in-shell hazelnuts (also known as filberts)that had been purchased from bulk bins in grocery stores or in a repacked form  sold from November 2, 2010 to December 22, 2010 in multiple states and Canada...

Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) laboratory testing confirms E. coli O157:H7 in recalled hazelnuts

Posted on March 09, 2011
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) laboratory has confirmed E. coli O157:H7 contamination of in-shell hazelnuts (also known as filberts) collected from the home of an ill Minnesotan. The contaminated hazelnuts are part of a multi-state recall announced last Friday, March 4, by DeFranco and Sons, a California-based nut and produce distributor...

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