Outbreak News
E. coli lawsuit filed against meat supplier, grocer
PRESS RELEASEMarler Clark
ALBANY, NY (November 3, 2005) – An E. coli lawsuit was filed Thursday against Topps Meat Company and Price Chopper. The lawsuit was filed in Albany County Supreme Court on behalf of Albany County residents Darrell and Laurie Boehlke and their 8-year-old daughter, Erika, who became ill after eating a hamburger contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, a potentially deadly foodborne pathogen. The Boehlkes are represented by Marler Clark, the Seattle law firm that has represented thousands of victims of foodborne illness, and by Underberg & Kessler, a respected upstate New York law firm.
In the lawsuit, attorneys allege that Erika Boehlke ate an E. coli contaminated hamburger produced by Topps and sold by Price Chopper on August 26, 2005. By August 30, she was ill with symptoms of E. coli infection, including nausea, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. Erika’s diarrhea turned bloody, and her parents took her to St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany on September 2, where she was admitted. Erika developed hemolytic uremic syndrome [1], and was transferred to Albany Medical Center on September 4. She underwent eleven rounds of kidney dialysis, and remained hospitalized until September 17. As a result of her illness, Erika suffered permanent kidney damage and remains at risk of future complications, including end stage renal disease. Left over ground beef produced by Topps and sold at Price chopper in the Boehlke’s freezer tested positive for a strain of E. coli O157:H7 that was genetically indistinguishable from that isolated from Erika’s stool.
Continue reading E. coli lawsuit filed against meat supplier, grocer on the Marler Clark website.
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