All News / Outbreaks /

Portola Valley Nursing Home Resident Family Sues Sodexho Over E. coli Death From Spinach

Marler Clark has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family of Alice McWalter, an 85-year-old woman who died last year during an E. coli outbreak at a Portola Valley nursing home. The lawsuit was filed against Sodexho, the Maryland-based company contracted to prepare and serve food for residents at the Sequoias nursing home.
McWalter and 12 other people at the home contracted E. coli in October, most likely from fecal matter on spinach served at the cafeteria. McWalter was hospitalized Oct. 14 and died 12 days later from complications related to the infection. The health agency’s investigation found that 46 residents and staff members reported symptoms. Seven people — including McWalter — were hospitalized.
The first Sequoias resident was hospitalized Oct. 10, but residents weren’t warned of a possible E. coli outbreak until Oct. 13. Matsumoto said the home did not receive test results indicating an E. coli problem until Oct. 13.
The wrong is that someone got sick. And it came from food that Sodexho served In a sense, it’s case closed.

Get Help

Affected by an outbreak or recall?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

Get a free consultation
Related Resources
E. coli Food Poisoning

What is E. coli and how does it cause food poisoning? Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a highly studied, common species of bacteria that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae, so...

E. coli O157:H7

E. coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 is the most commonly identified and the most notorious Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotype in...

Non-O157 STEC

Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 may be the most notorious serotype of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), but there are at least...

Sources of E. coli

Where do E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) come from? The primary reservoirs, or ultimate sources, of E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC in nature are...

Transmission of and Infection with E. coli

While many dairy cattle-associated foodborne disease outbreaks are linked to raw milk and other raw dairy products (e.g., cheeses, butter, ice cream), dairy cattle still represent a source of contamination...

Outbreak Database

Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

View Outbreak Database