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Can I Sue Wolverine Packing Company for E. coli O157 food poisoning?
Yes, if you have been diagnosed with E. coli O157 and your illness can be connected to ground beef sold by Wolverine Packing Company of Detroit, you have the right to file a lawsuit. Ground beef E. coli outbreaks are not uncommon. In May of 2014, Wolverine Packing recalled over a million pounds of ground beef products today after reports of 11 cases of E. coli O157 food poisoning in 4 states: Michigan, Massachusetts, Ohio and Missouri. We are also investigating an case in Illinois that has not yet been connected to the outbreak. Our E. coli lawyers have won personal injury and wrongful death cases in all of these states.
The tainted ground beef was sold to restaurants. People sickened in the outbreak reported eating rare burgers prior to getting sick. Restaurants are legally responsible for illnesses caused by their food. If you ate a rare burger at a restaurant and have been diagnosed with an E. coli infection, you may have claims against both Wolverine Packing Company and the restaurant.
For more information about restaurant liability, read our article “Can I Sue a Restaurant for Food Poisoning?” It provides 5 reasons why it is a good idea to file a lawsuit as soon as possible. One of them is to get access to additional information from the companies involved and the health departments.
Wolverine Packing Company Beef Recall
Wolverine Packing Company issued a recall of 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products that was sold to restaurants in at least 4 states: Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated that the packing code date appears on the recalled products in the format: “Packing Nos: MM DD 14.” The recalled products include all dates between “03 31 14” and “04 18 14” that bear the establishment number “EST. 2574B.”
This information is meaningless to consumers, and we are waiting to see if Wolverine Packing or the USDA will release names of restaurants. We are calling on the release of this information immediately.
The ground beef products were produced between March 31, 2014 and April 18, 2014, and illness onset dates range from April 22 to May 2, 2014.
The USDA has stated that there was a “lack of microbiological independence between lot production, as well as a deficiency in supportive record-keeping by distributors.” We are looking into whether there is a claim of gross negligence.
The department released a 97-page list of recalled products, including beef patties and Angus burgers. To date, our investigation is finding that those sickened ate a rare burger at a restaurant. Some restaurants still sell rare burgers, even knowing the risk to consumers, and some inadvertently sell them. Either way, the restaurants involved in this outbreak are liable for illnesses.