E. coliLawyer

Contaminated ground beef, leafy greens, and raw dairy products remain the most common outbreak sources. The CDC estimates approximately 86,000 O157:H7 foodborne illnesses, 1,700 hospitalizations, and 40 deaths each year. HUS typically surfaces around a week after the first symptoms, and when it does, patients often need emergency dialysis, blood transfusions, and intensive care that can last weeks. The damage does not always end there. Research tracking HUS survivors over a decade found that roughly one in three developed chronic kidney disease, lasting hypertension, or neurological complications that surfaced years after the initial infection. For families, the medical costs of HUS treatment alone can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars before the child leaves the hospital, and parents face weeks of missed work while managing ongoing care.

E. coli outbreaks trigger investigations by the CDC, FDA, and USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Investigators use whole genome sequencing to match E. coli strains found in patients to strains found in specific food products, creating a genetic link between illness and source. When contamination is traced to a facility, inspection records often reveal food safety violations that preceded the outbreak. In the 2024 McDonald's Quarter Pounder outbreak, investigators traced contaminated slivered onions to a single supplier facility. In the Grimmway Farms organic carrot recall, production records showed lapses in testing protocols. These documented failures establish negligence, which is the legal foundation for holding food companies financially responsible for the harm their products cause. Recalls themselves serve as evidence: when the USDA or FDA issues a recall, the company has acknowledged that its product poses a health risk, strengthening the case for every victim linked to that product.

Ron Simon & Associates has represented victims in the largest E. coli outbreaks in recent American history, including the 2024 McDonald's Quarter Pounder outbreak, the Grimmway Farms organic carrot contamination, and multiple Chipotle outbreaks. Our E. coli lawyers filed the first lawsuit in the McDonald's and Grimmway Farms cases. We have helped victims and their families recover compensation for emergency hospitalization, dialysis, kidney transplant costs, lost income, and the long-term medical monitoring that HUS survivors require. With over $850 million recovered for food poisoning victims and more than 35 years focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation, we know how these cases are built and what the families involved are going through.