The following information on the Ohio and Michigan E. coli outbreak linked to Kroger ground beef is provided by Pritzker | Ruohonen, one of the few law firms in the United States that practices extensively in the area of E. coli litigation. Our lawyers have gained a national reputation and have been interviewed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA and other publications. In recognigion of their accomplishments, Pritzker | Ruohonen attorneys Fred Pritzker, Rich Ruohonen and Elliot Olsen have been named "Super Lawyers" by Law & Politics magazine. If you or your child has been diagnosed with E. coli, you may contact Pritzker | Ruohonen at 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free), email our lawyers, or submit the firm's online consultation form (top of right column) for review by a lawyer at the firm.

June 25, 2008 - State departments of health and agriculture in Michigan and Ohio, CDC, and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections. To date, 32 confirmed cases have been linked both epidemiologically and by molecular fingerprinting to this outbreak, 15 in Michigan and 17 in Ohio. Onset of illness in these patients occurred from 5/30/08 to 6/11/08. Fourteen ill persons have been hospitalized. One patient has developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). No deaths linked to the outbreak have been reported. Twenty (62%) of patients are female. Patients range in age from 4 to 78 years with a median age of 21 years.

Kroger ground beef has been linked to the this E. coli outbreak. State health and agriculture departments have tested ground beef recovered from patient residences and purchased at Kroger® retail stores in Michigan and Ohio. Molecular fingerprinting testing conducted by the Ohio and Michigan Departments of Health and Agriculture Laboratories, in collaboration with PulseNet, the national molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance, on E. coli O157 isolates isolated from ground beef samples have confirmed the isolates to be the outbreak strain of E. coli O157.

Analysis of the case-control study data indicates a significant association between illness among case patients and eating ground beef purchased at at one of several Kroger® Co. stores in Michigan and Ohio. CDC has provided these results to the USDA-FSIS and public health agencies in Michigan and Ohio.

A recall has been announced for ground beef sold at Kroger® Co. Stores in Michigan and Ohio. The products subject to recall include all varieties and weights of ground beef products bearing a Kroger label sold between May 21 and June 8 at Michigan and Columbus and Toledo, Ohio Kroger retail establishments. These ground beef products also include a sell-by date between "05/21/08" and "06/08/08."

The epidemiological and microbiological evidence of that Kroger ground beef is linked to the outbreak can be used in a Kroger E. coli lawsuit seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages. We have used both epidemiological and microbiological evidence to successfully prove “causation,” an element of an E. coli lawsuit that looks at whether the suspected food product was the actual cause of the victim’s E. coli infection and related complications, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is one of the leading causes of kidney failure (renal failure).

We have recovered compensation for victims of E. coli outbreaks involving grocery stores. We have also recently recovered amounts for families of people who died from E. coli and HUS. Contact us regarding our experience with E. coli litigation, grocery store liability, a Kroger E. coli lawsuit and any other issue that you would want to discuss with an E. coli lawyer.

Contact a Pritzker | Ruohonen lawyer:

• Call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free);
• Submit our free case consultation form (top of right column); or
• Email our lawyers.

Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A. represents foodborne illness survivors in cases throughout the United States.

E. coli Lawyer is published by the law firm of Pritzker | Ruohonen, one of the leading food safety law firms in the United States. We have a national practice and represent victims of E. coli outbreaks throughout the United States. We also represent the families of people who died after contracting an E. coli infection. In most cases of serious injury and death, the person who contracted the E. coli infection developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). We publish E. coli Lawyer to alert consumers to E. coli recalls and outbreaks, provide information on E. coli and HUS, and provide information on E. coli law and litigation.

Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Rich Ruohonen have a national reputation and have been interviewed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA and other publications. In recognition of their accomplishments, they have been named “Super Lawyers” by Law & Politics magazine.

Fred and Rich are sought-after speakers and have conducted numerous legal seminars and presentations on such matters as how to get top verdicts and settlements, foodborne illness, products liability, trial tactics, use of expert witnesses, and pain and suffering.

DO YOU NEED AN E. COLI LAWYER?

E. coli cases are complex and involve a number of subjects about which most lawyers are unfamiliar. Successful E. coli lawyers must have years of experience representing food safety survivors and know and understand technical subjects including epidemiology, microbiology, infectious disease, food safety and sanitation, and internal and gastrointestinal medicine. As importantly, lawyers handling these cases should be seasoned trial attorneys. Insurance companies know which lawyers try cases (and are therefore capable of large verdicts) versus those who have little trial experience and end up settling for less than experienced trial counsel.

Because of the resources food companies and their insurers devote to defending them, it’s critically important that your lawyer has the best people available to work on your case and the resources to pay for them. Experienced E. coli lawyers have connections with top-notch epidemiologists, microbiologists, medical professionals, and other experts to act as consultants and, if necessary, witnesses at a trial.

If you need an E. coli lawyer, we would like to help. To contact an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker | Ruohonen, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's free case consultation form for review by an E. coli lawyer.

According to news reports, at least 20 people who attended the annual "Beast Feast and Wild Game Supper" at the Eastern Shore First Baptist Church have become ill. At least 8 of those people have been diagnosed with E. coli.

For those who were sickened, it is important for others, especially the church family, to understand that they are really sick and need support and prayers, even after they return home from the hospital. We monitor meat recalls and E. coli outbreaks, so we would recommend that people not use ground beef in meals for the families.

Those who were sickened and their families have medical bills, lost earnings and other damages, and they should be compensated for these losses. However, pursuing a claim against one’s church is not something everyone is willing to do. That may not be necessary. If the food responsible for the E. coli poisoning is pinpointed, an E. coli lawyer can pursue claims against the manufacturer, distributor and others connected with that food product.

Even if a food source if pinpointed, it will probably be in the sickened individual's best interests to pursue a claim against the church. Given that churches generally have insurance to cover liabilities like this, pursuing a claim against a church should not be viewed an assault against the church. Pursuing a claim against the church may be the only way to get to the insurance money. Sadly, this is how the system works. Any lawsuit against the church should not be taken personally by the members of the church. We are sensitive to situations like this and have dealt with this issue before.

While health officials work to track down the food product, those sickened and their families may want to contact an experienced E. coli lawyer regarding what can be done to protect legal rights. To contact a lawyer at our law firm, please call toll-free at 1-999-377-8900 or submit the firm’s free case consultation form.

Elliot Olsen, an attorney at Pritzker | Ruohonen, has filed a lawsuit against an operator of a Taco John’s restaurant in Iowa on behalf of a woman who contracted an E. coli infection after eating food from the restaurant in November of 2006.

“These illnesses represent yet another breakdown in a system which seems incapable of protecting the public from contaminated food,” stated Mr. Olsen. “We believe there are other victims out there who have not yet come forward.”

The Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier reported on the lawsuit:

Represented by attorney Elliot Olsen of Minneapolis, Bellis filed her suit against CMT Inc., which operates the Taco John's restaurant at 6210 University Ave., in Black Hawk County District Court earlier this month.

Two other suits against Taco John's were filed in federal court in December 2006 and have since been settled.

According to court records, Bellis had two soft-shell tacos with lettuce at the Cedar Falls store Nov. 30.

On Dec. 4, she had abdominal cramps, which progressed to bloody diarrhea, vomiting and extreme dehydration. She spent two day in the hospital after an emergency room visit, records state.

Workers at the Black Hawk County Health Department determined she had tested positive E. coli bacteria and concluded she became sick as a result of her Taco John's meal.

CMT is based in South Dakota and operates Taco John's in Cedar Falls.

Officials said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the E. coli strain was traced to growers in California, and some 81 people in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin were infected.

In Black Hawk County, 33 people became ill with E. coli infections, and 14 were hospitalized.

To contact Elliot Olsen, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, email Elliot, or submit the firm's free case consultation form. Read more about the Iowa E. coli outbreak linked to Taco John's on our website.

On September 25, 2007, the USDA-FSIS announced that Topps Meat Company, LLC was voluntarily recalling 331,582 pounds of ground beef patties due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. By October 6, the amount of recalled ground beef patties had risen to 21.7 million pounds, one of the largest recalls of beef products in U.S. history. At least 40 cases of E. coli have been linked to the recalled beef patties. (Read about the Topps recall and a Topps lawsuit.)

The Topps recall forced FSIS to drastically change procedures to prevent massive recalls in the future. On October 23, 2007, FSIS released a strategic plan to combat E. coli 0157:H7. The plan called for testing and analysis of trim, a new checklist for verifying control, testing more domestic and imported ground beef components, more rapid recalls, routine testing, and ensuring the safety of imported beef. FSIS also promised greater working cooperation with federal partners, small plants, stakeholders, and public health partners.

Under the new program, FSIS will consider establishment volume and any positive tests for E. coli 0157:H7 at the establishment in the past 120 days. FSIS inspectors will take frequent samples, ranging from 4 to 24 samples annually. This new protocol for testing became effective on January 1, 2008.

Pritzker | Ruohonen, a leading foodborne illness litigation law firm, is investigating cases of E. coli 0157:H7. The firm has a national reputation and has recovered millions for victims of foodborne illness. To contact an E. coli lawyer at the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's free case consultation form.

Fred Pritzker, a leading food safety lawyer, is calling for food safety disclosure laws following a recently announced recall involving 48 tons of ground beef products by American Foods Group, LLC. The following is an excerpt from a press release issued by Fred's law firm, Pritzker | Ruohonen:

Minneapolis, MN November 29, 2007 -- So far this year over 28 million pounds of beef products have been recalled due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. Most recently, American Foods Group, LLC, a Green Bay, Wisconsin firm, recalled 48 tons of ground beef products.

Fred Pritzker, a leading food safety lawyer, believes more information about recalls and the companies involved in them should be readily available to consumers. "It is extremely difficult for the average consumer to learn anything about a company's E. coli O157:H7 track record and just as hard to find out if recalled hamburger made its way into the consumer's household (much less the mouths of his/her loved ones)," states Pritzker. "That's because the labels on most ground beef products do not disclose the identity of the company that produced it. In other words, even if a consumer wanted to avoid products from a company that consistently produced hamburger laced with E. coli O157:H7, there is no way to find out."

Read the full press release entitiled, "Attorney Fred Pritzker Calls for Food Safety Disclosure Laws."

Prompted by the reports of cases of E. coli O157:H7, American Foods Group recalled about 48 tons of ground beef products. The American Foods ground beef recall involves ground beef products that were distributed for further processing and repackaging and will not bear the recalling firm’s establishment number on the package. This means that consumers have no way of looking at a package of ground beef and knowing if it is part of the recall. Read our press release regarding Fred Pritzker's call for food safety disclosure laws on our website, www.pritzkerlaw.com.

E. coli Lawyer contacted the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) regarding its investigation into the illnesses that may be associated with American Foods Group, LLC ground beef products. According to Kimberly Parker, IDPH Communications Manager, IDPH both the sickened people and ground beef products found in the home tested positive for E. coli O157:H7.

We have been contacted by a number of people who are concerned because they or someone in their family has recently eaten a recalled Jeno's or Totino’s pizza. In our office, also, someone’s teenage son ate a recalled pepperoni Totino’s the day before the recall. It is unnerving at best.

If you or your child is having symptoms of E. coli—primarily cramps and watery and/or bloody diarrhea—promptly seek medical attention. You should tell the doctor the person ate a recalled pizza and has E. coli symptoms. You should ask that a stool sample be tested for E. coli O157:H7. To ensure that the lab does the proper tests, be sure to ask your doctor to specifically request a culture for E. coli O157:H7.

If there is a diagnosis of E. coli O157:H7, you will need to notify your state’s department of health to report the case. Health officials should do genetic fingerprint analysis on E. coli isolates from your stool sample. If not, testing can be done at private labs. Contact us for help through this process. To contact an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker | Ruohonen, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form.

Arko Veal Company has recalled approximately 1,900 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled ground beef was distributed to restaurants in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. There have been no reports of illness to date.

Restaurants are responsible for the food they serve. If someone contracts an E. coli infection after eating a hamburger served at a restaurant, compensation for injuries can be sought from the restaurant. If a specific food that was served at the restaurant is pinpointed, the restaurant, supplier of that food product and others can be pursued in an E. coli lawsuit. In this scenario, the restaurant can be held 100% liable for injuries to the sickened patron. The restaurant could then pursue the supplier and others in a separate lawsuit that would not involve the sickened patron. The reason for a sickened patron to include suppliers and others in an E. coli lawsuit would be to have more sources for compensation. An E. coli lawyer should be consulted whenever an E. coli infection is associated with a restaurant.

To contact an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker | Ruohonen, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online contact form for review by an E. coli lawyer. Pritzker | Ruohonen represents victims of outbreaks associated with restaurants. The firm is also representing the family of a woman who died as the result of an E. coli infection associated with a restaurant. In this wrongful death case, a specific food source was not found.

(There are now 8 cases of E. coli in New Jersey linked to Topps hamburger. See updated CDC information on the Topps E. coli outbreak.)

Another case of E. coli O157:H7 in New Jersey has been confirmed and is believed to be connected to the E. coli outbreak linked to Topps hamburgers. The 12-year-old girl with E. coli poisoning is in the hospital. According to the New Jersey Department of Health, there are 5 additional cases of E. coli O157:H7 that are associated with the Topps hamburgers E. coli outbreak, none of them confirmed. For a case to be “confirmed” the PFGE pattern of E. coli isolates from stool samples would have to match the outbreak PFGE pattern.

Pritzker | Ruohonen is investigating cases of E. coli linked to recalled Topps hamburgers in New Jersey and other states. Pritzker | Ruohonen is one of the nation’s leading E. coli litigation law firms and represents E. coli victims throughout the United States. If you have been diagnosed with E. coli after eating Topps hamburgers, please contact the firm toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form for review by an attorney.

For more information regarding the Topps hamburger recall and related E. coli outbreak, please see the following on our website:

• Topps hamburger recall and Topps hamburgers lawsuit information
• New Jersey E. coli cases and Topps lawsuit information
• New York E. coli cases and Topps lawsuit information
• Pennsylvania E. coli cases and Topps lawsuit information

The E. coli outbreak associated with Galena Elementary School in Floyds Knobs, Indiana is particularly virulent. E. coli O157:H7 is always dangerous, but in this outbreak most of the children who contracted an E. coli infection then developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States and the primary cause of death and prolonged illness in children with E. coli. Usually about 15% of the E. coli cases in an outbreak develop into HUS.

As many as 7 of the 10 people with E. coli infections associated with Galena Elementary School may have developed HUS. A spokesman for Kosair Children’s Hospital told the Courier-Journal that “seven children with the bacterial infection were being treated for kidney failure at Kosair Children’s Hospital.”

These little children are fighting for their lives and enduring incomprehensible pain.

According to the Courier-Journal story, some parents are questioning Galena Elementary School’s decision to keep the school open after they became aware of the E. coli risk to students:

Melissa Miller, president of the Galena PTO and the parent of a student there, said she and other parents continue to question the decision to keep the school open and believe closing it for a time would have been for the best once officials knew they had an E. coli situation.

. . . A temporary closing would have allowed investigators to make sure there were no more cases and would have given them more time in the building without students present, she said.

If you would like to speak with an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker | Ruohonen, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online contact form

(There are now 10 cases of E. coli in Pennsylvania linked to Topps hamburger. See updated CDC information on the Topps E. coli outbreak.)

URGENT E. COLI WARNING REGARDING TOPPS HAMBURGERS SOLD IN PENNSYLVANIA AND NATIONWIDE: Pritzker | Ruohonen is monitoring a recall of hamburger produced by Topps Meat Company and sold in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Approximately 21.7 million pounds of Topps hamburgers have been recalled. For a list of recalled Topps hamburgers, please see Topps hamburgers recall and Topps lawsuit information on our website. The recalled Topps hamburgers were sold under the following brands: Topps, Butcher's Best, Kohler Foods, Sand Castle Fine Meat and Westside.

At least 7 people in Pennsylvania may have been sickened by E. coli in Topps hamburgers. 4 people have confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 linked to Topps hamburger; 3 additional people may also be part of this Topps-E.coli outbreak. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is awaiting the results of tests, including tests to determine if the DNA fingerprints of the E. coli that sickened the 3 people matches the DNA fingerprint of E.coli isolates found in Topps hamburger.

The Pennsylvania counties involved in the outbreak so far are Centre, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Northampton and Philadelphia. Lawyers have already filed a Topps lawsuit in Florida. It is the first of many lawsuits that will be filed in the states involved, including Pennsylvania.

If you are diagnosed with E. coli, you need to contact an E. coli lawyer as soon as possible to make sure all tests are done to determine if your case of E. coli is connected to the Topps E.coli outbreak. The results of testing and DNA fingerprinting lab work will be evidence in a Pennsylvania, Topps hamburgers E. coli lawsuit. An E. coli lawsuit may involve parties in addition to Topps Meat Company.

Pritzker | Ruohonen is a leading E. coli litigation law firm. Our lawyers have national reputations and have been interviewed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA, and other publications. To contact an E. coli lawyer at the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online consultation form. PRITZKER | RUOHONEN REPRESENTS VICTIMS OF E. COLI OUTBREAKS NATIONWIDE.

(There are now 35 cases of E. coli associated with Topps hamburger. See updated CDC information on the Topps E. coli outbreak.)

URGENT UPDATE TO THIS ENTRY: Topps Meat Company has expanded the recall of Topps hamburgers to approximately 21.7 million pounds of hamburgers due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. At least 25 people have reported illnesses associate with this recall. The recalled hamburgers were sold nationwide, the bulk to states in the Northeast.

According to the CDC, at least 21 people may have been sickened by Topps hamburgers. 2 confirmed cases of E. coli in New York and 1 confirmed case in Florida have been linked to Topps hamburgers. The PFGE patterns of these cases and E. coli from a sample of Topps hamburgers one of the sickened people had in the freezer all matched.

There are at least 18 other cases of E. coli that health officials suspect are part of this Topps hamburgers E. coli outbreak: 4 in New Jersey and others in Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Some of those sickened have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a leading cause of kidney failure in the United States. Most cases of HUS are caused by E. coli O157:H7 infections. In addition to damaging the kidneys, HUS can damage the pancreas, heart, brain, and other organs. About 5% of people who get HUS die and many others never fully recover.

In response to these illnesses, Topps Meat Company has recalled about 331,582 pounds of hamburger patties. The boxes of recalled Topps hamburger carry the number "Est. 9748" inside the USDA mark of inspection and were produced on June 22, July 12 or July 23.

The recalled products included certain 10-pound boxes of Butcher's Best 100% All Beef Patties; certain 10-pound boxes of Kohler Foods burgers; certain 10-pound boxes of Sand Castle Fine Meat; some 2-pound boxes of Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers; and some 3-pound boxes of Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers. Please see our website for a full list of recalled Topps hamburger patties.

The recalled Topps hamburgers were sold at a number of different stores, including Kohler Foods, Wal-Mart, and Price Chopper.

To contact an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker | Ruohonen, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online consultation form.

The Step-by-Step Process for Tracing a Food Implicated in an E. coli Outbreak:

1. A person experiencing the symptoms of E. coli (watery and/or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, fever, vomiting, and/or body aches) goes to the doctor. The doctor makes an initial diagnosis, and stool cultures from the patient are sent to a clinical laboratory.
2. Medical lab tests are done on the stool culture. If the presence of E. coli is determined by the local clinical lab, an isolate of that bacterial culture is sent to the state health department lab for further testing, including PFGE (pulse-field gel electrophoresis). The state health department lab sends the PFGE results electronically to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
3. The DNA "fingerprint" (PFGE result) of the E. coli isolate is compared at CDC with other "fingerprint" samples. If is a match, CDC notifies - via an automated e-mail - the state health departments, along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
4. When there are several isolates with the same PFGE pattern, state health departments investigate to identify a common exposure, such as a common food that was eaten. Local health department representatives, generally epidemiologists, use standard questionnaires to interview both sick and well persons. First, they want to find out where the sickened people ate, such as at home, a picnic, or a restaurant. Then they look for a common food that was eaten.
5. If health officials find a sample of suspected food, testing is done to determine if the food is contaminated with E. coli and, if so, the PFGE pattern of the E. coli. If the PFGE matches those of the outbreak victims, that food is considered the source of the outbreak.
6. If it is determined that the foodborne illness was due to a food item that was served at a public eating establishment, such as a restaurant, health officials interview the food workers. They use questionnaires to find out what and how foods were prepared. If there was a sick food worker on the job when sickened people ate at the restaurant, etc., health officials will get stool cultures from the food worker. If his or her PFGE matches those of the sickened people, health officials consider the worker to be the source of the contamination.
7. If food found at a restaurant tests positive for E. coli and the PFGE matches the outbreak pattern, that food is considered the source of the outbreak. Even if health officials do not find food that tests positive for E. coli, a restaurant can be found liable for any illness associated with eating its food.

If a common food is identified , federal health officials use trace-back techniques to determine where the food came from. If the food is produce, the goal is to find the field where it came from. If the food is meat, the goal is to find the animal it came from. The trace-back stage of the investigation is the responsibility of the FDA (produce) or USDA (meat).

8. Once the traceback investigation has determined the source of the outbreak, steps are taken to prevent further exposure or spread of the infection. For example, if the source is a specific food being distributed, a recall of that food will be implemented. If the source is an infected food worker, that person will be removed from any food-service duties until they have recovered and tested negative for that bacteria.

Eight people in Oregon and Washington have confirmed E. coli infections associated with "Northwest Finest" ground beef products. This E. coli outbreak has prompted the USDA-FSIS to issue a public health alert regarding about 41,305 pounds of ground beef processed by Interstate Meats of Oregon.

We have been contacted by people sickened in this E. coli outbreak and suspect that state and federal health officials will be reporting more confirmed cases of E. coli linked to the "Northwest Finest" beef products.

Over 5 million pounds of ground beef have been recalled in the last few months, and there have been numerous E. coli outbreaks throughout the United States associated with the various recalls. Anyone diagnosed with E. coli poisoning should suspect ground beef. A number of tests need to be done to link a case of E. coli poisoning to a specific outbreak and the associated ground beef. We encourage anyone who is diagnosed with E. coli to contact the firm by calling toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submitting the online contact form for review by an attorney.

Details of the E. coli Outbreak that may be Associated with "Northwest Finest" Ground Beef

The confirmed illnesses associated with the "Northwest Finest" beef products were reported in late July and the first week of August. The Washington confirmed cases included one child and five adults in King, Island and Clallam counties. Two people were hospitalized and have since recovered.

The “Northwest Finest” ground beef products include the following:

* 16-ounce packages of "Northwest Finest 7% FAT, NATURAL GROUND BEEF." The label bears a UPC code of 752907 600127.

* 16-ounce packages of "Northwest Finest 10% FAT, Organic GROUND BEEF." No UPC code is available.

Each package also bears the establishment number "Est. 965" inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture mark of inspection as well as a sell-by date between August 1 and August 11.

The ground beef products were produced on various dates between July 19 and July 30 and distributed in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The organic product was sold at QFC, Fred Meyer, and Safeway stores in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. The natural product was sold at Safeway stores in Oregon, Washington and possibly elsewhere.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with an E. coli infection, you need an E. coli lawyer to protect your legal rights. The E. coli lawyers at Pritzker | Ruohonen have extensive E. coli lawsuit experience and are ready to take the following actions if you retain them:

1. Make sure all testing is done to link your case of E. coli to an outbreak and/or food product. A medical professional will have to have testing done on a stool sample to diagnose E. coli O157:H7, the strain of E. coli most often associated with outbreaks and recalls. If you are diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 or another dangerous strain of E. coli, more testing will need to be done to get a genetic fingerprint of the E. coli bacteria that made you sick. This is important evidence in an E. coli lawsuit.


2. Thoroughly investigate the medical records of the person diagnosed with E. coli. We will look for evidence of medical malpractice. We will also gather evidence for an E. coli lawsuit regarding medical expenses (past and future), pain and suffering (past and future), and future physical condition and how that will affect earning potential.


3. Consult with medical experts with experience in foodborne illness.


4. Consult with epidemiologists and microbiologists. E. coli lawsuits involve complex scientific evidence. Expert witnesses are required to present the evidence at trial. We have highly-qualified epidemiologists and microbiologists that we have successfully used in several cases. We consult with these experts throughout our investigation and when preparing for negotiations and trial.


5. Negotiate with responsible parties and thoroughly prepare for trial. From the moment you retain Pritzker | Ruohonen to represent you, we do what is necessary to protect your rights and get you compensation for your injuries. We work hard to negotiate a settlement, and many of our cases are settled, including a recent case that we settled for $6,425,000. We also prepare for a possible trial. This involves preparing the expert witnesses described above and gathering and preparing evidence for presentation in court.

Pritzker | Ruohonen has a national practice and represents E. coli victims throughout the United States. To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the online contact form.