Our law firm has filed a lawsuit for a child sickened in the I.M. Healthy E. coli outbreak. Only a few days after exposure to an I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter product at daycare, our young client, M.R., developed a life-threatening E. coli O157:H7 complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which caused his kidneys to fail.
On May 4, 2017, after the above video was recorded, the CDC reported that the number of people sickened in this outbreak had risen to 32. Of those, 12 were hospitalized, and 9 of them developed HUS.
The I.M. Healthy E. coli Lawsuit Seeks Compensation for Little M.R. and His Parents
- Compensation for an injured child can include amounts for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of future earning potential, loss of quality of life.
- Compensation for parents can include lost wages, medical and other expenses they incurred and are expected to incur in the future that is related to their child’s illness, and loss of consortium.
In this case, two companies are involved. The company that made the soynut butter, Dixie Dew Products Inc., was shut down by the FDA for unsanitary conditions during the outbreak investigation. Dixie Dew sold the product to The SoyNut Butter Company, which then sold it under the I.M. Healthy brand.
Our law firm’s team of E. coli lawyers represent people throughout the United States. In a recent case involving another outbreak, we won $7.55 million for a young child who developed HUS kidney failure.
I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter Outbreak
At least 29 people (24 of them children) in 12 states are part of the E. coli outbreak linked to I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter:
Arizona (4), California (5), Florida (1), Illinois (1), Massachusetts (1), Maryland (1), Missouri (1), New Jersey (1), Oregon (9), Virginia (2), Washington (2), and Wisconsin (1).
The evidence pointing to I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter as the source of the outbreak includes the following, according to the CDC:
- 21 of the people with confirmed cases (75%) reportedly ate the product before becoming sick. Some of the children attended a childcare center that served I.M. Healthy brand SoyNut Butter and I.M. Healthy brand granola coated with SoyNut Butter.
- Laboratory testing identified the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 in opened containers of I.M. Healthy brand SoyNut Butter collected from the homes of ill people in California, Oregon, and Washington and from unopened containers collected from retail locations in California.
9 Children with HUS Kidney Failure
Nine of the 29 people with confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 are children who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS kidney failure). This is a horrific complication that can be fatal. The kidney failure can lead to strokes and permanent brain damage, heart failure, pancreatitis, paralysis and a host of other medical problems. In addition, there is an increased risk of future kidney disease and the need for a transplant.
A lawsuit should seek sufficient compensation to make sure there are funds to pay for these expected future medical expenses.
Legal Help for Children and Parents
Our law firm is one of the few in the United States that has won hundreds of cases for people sickened by contaminated food. In cases where there is severe, permanent injury (kidneys, brain damage, paralysis) our lawyers have obtained multi-million-dollar settlements. Their experience and success have resulted in invitations to speak at Harvard Law School, Cornell, and other venues. They have also been quoted by The New York Times, Associated Press and other news media. If your child has been sickened in this outbreak, you can contact our law firm for a free consultation with a lawyer: 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free) or submit the form below.
