Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers is representing those who have gotten sick after eating McDonald’s quarter pounder hamburgers. Call us today for a free consultation if:
- You ate a McDonald’s quarter pounder near the end of September or during October
- You were diagnosed with an E. Coli infection after eating the burger
As of October 30, 2024, McDonald’s has been involved in an E. Coli outbreak linked with one death, 27 hospitalizations and 90 infections across 13 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The outbreak has been linked to the franchise’s quarter pounders.
Our law firm has been representing food poisoning victims since 1990 and has recovered over $750,000,000 on behalf of clients. Our vast experience in handling food poisoning cases like yours means we can recover the most compensation possible on your behalf.
We will not charge you any fee to handle your food poisoning case until and unless we recover financial compensation for you – our only fee will be a percentage of any compensation we recover. You will not be charged any out-of-pocket or upfront fees for us to handle your E. Coli case.
Call us today for a free consultation, text us from this page or fill out this page’s free case evaluation form if you or a loved one were diagnosed with an E. Coli infection after eating a McDonald’s quarter pounder.
McDonald’s Quarter-Pounders Linked to E. Coli Outbreak
According to the CDC, McDonald’s has been affected by an E. Coli outbreak which, so far, has sickened people in 13 states:
- Oregon
- Utah
- Colorado
- Wyoming
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Kansas
- Missouri
- Iowa
- Wisconsin
- Washington
- New Mexico
- Michigan
The outbreak has led to 90 infections, 27 hospitalizations and one death. The outbreak has the potential to be one of the most significant food poisoning outbreaks of the year. Around one million quarter pounders were sold during the timeframe which the illnesses happened in. The illnesses began occurring near the end of September, and the most recent known infection took place on October 11.
McDonald’s suspects that the onions in quarter pounders are to blame for the infection, but this has not been confirmed yet. McDonald’s stores located in Wyoming, Utah, Kansas and Colorado, as well as in parts of Oklahoma, New Mexico, Nevada, Nebraska, Montana, Missouri, Iowa and Idaho, have ceased using fresh slivered onions as well as quarter pound beef patties while an investigation seeks to identify which ingredient is causing infections.
Symptoms of E. Coli Infection
Escherichia coli (E. Coli) is a type of bacteria which is naturally found in human and animal intestines. There are many strains of it. Some strains are harmless, while others are dangerous when ingested. Dangerous strains are known as pathogenic strains and can cause diarrhea or illness.
The type of E. Coli involved in the McDonald’s outbreak is known as Shiga toxin-producing E. Coli, or STEC. This bacteria produces a toxin known as Shiga which can damage the small intestine’s lining.
Most of those with STEC infections experience vomiting, diarrhea (which is often bloody) and severe stomach cramps. These symptoms typically begin three to four days after ingestion of the bacteria. Most people with STEC infections recover after five to seven days, without treatment.
Other E. Coli symptoms include:
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Gas
- Fever
- Decreased urine output
- Dehydration
- Easily bruising
- Pale skin
- Bloody urine
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious kidney problem requiring hospitalization
If you’ve been diagnosed with E. coli after a visit to McDonald’s, it’s a good idea to contact one of our hazardous exposure lawyers. We’ll fight to make sure you’re compensated for your suffering.
What to Do If You’ve Been Infected
You should visit an urgent care center or call 911 if:
- You or a child of yours has bloody diarrhea
You should talk to your primary care physician if you or a child of yours has diarrhea and:
- It lasts for over seven days
- It’s particularly severe or frequent
- Weight loss occurs
- It is accompanied by a continuous or severe stomach ache
- There are signs of dehydration, such as feeling dizzy or lightheaded, urinating less often than usual, or drowsiness
- A large amount of extremely watery diarrhea has been passed
Contact your primary care physician if your child is under 12 months old and you are concerned.
Most people who are infected with E. Coli will be fine without medical treatment. However, if you have any severe symptoms, you should see a healthcare provider.
If you believe your symptoms are the result of an infection from McDonald’s, it’s a good idea to see a healthcare provider in order to document your illness. You will need to have your E. Coli infection diagnosed by a healthcare provider in order to file a lawsuit.
What Is the Value of a McDonald’s E. Coli Lawsuit?
The value of your potential lawsuit will depend on the damages you suffered. In other words, there is no single answer to this question. The value of your lawsuit will depend on the individual circumstances of your case.
Food safety is vital for the health of our nation. When restaurants fail to adhere to basic food safety practices, they can be held financially liable for the unfortunate consequences of health violations.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with E. Coli after eating a McDonald’s quarter pounder, you may qualify for financial compensation for the following damages:
Medical Bills
If you have been sickened by food from McDonald’s, you are probably already facing medical bills due to hospitalization. If you suffered any complications from your infection, you may also require future treatments which will generate more bills. Our lawyers can help you recover compensation for any past or future medical expenses related to your E. Coli infection.
Lost Wages
You may have had to miss time from work due to your food poisoning. Our attorneys can help you recover compensation for any wages you were unable to earn due to your food poisoning.
Pain and Suffering
Food poisoning can lead to physical pain and mental suffering. Our law firm has vast experience in accurately calculating the value of our food poisoning clients’ pain and suffering and making sure they are fairly compensated for their pain and suffering.
Wrongful Death
If you lost a loved one due to an E. Coli infection from a McDonald’s quarter pounder, unfortunately, no amount of financial compensation will be able to bring your loved one back. However, we can file a wrongful death claim on your behalf which will help make sure that the loss of your loved one due to food poisoning doesn’t cause your family to go through financial hardship. We can seek compensation for things like funeral bills, burial bills, the loss of your loved one’s income, your grieving and suffering, and the loss of your loved one’s love and companionship.
How Does E. Coli Contaminate Food?
E. Coli infections typically occur when people consume water or food contaminated by the bacteria, including beef, unpasteurized milk and undercooked or raw vegetables. E. Coli bacteria can contaminate food in many ways, including:
- People not washing their hands properly after they use the restroom, then handling food
- Animal or human stool coming into contact with water or food
- E. Coli bacteria from cows’ udders getting into raw milk
- E. Coli bacteria in animal intestines getting on meat during processing and slaughtering, especially in terms of ground beef
- Animal and human stool getting into surface and ground water such as irrigation waters, rivers, etc.
How Long Does E. Coli Poisoning Last?
According to the CDC, most people recover from E. Coli infections without treatment after a period of five to seven days.
The Dangers of Untreated E. Coli Infections
The most concerning complication of E. Coli infections is hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS. This is a complication which is possibly life-threatening. This syndrome kills red blood cells.
About five to 10 percent of people with STEC infections develop this complication, which can cause kidney failure. Children under 10 years of age are particularly susceptible to this complication.
The symptoms of HUS include:
- Loss of color inside the lower eyelids and in the cheeks
- Decreased urination frequency
- Feeling very tired
Medical care needs to be sought immediately if the symptoms of HUS are present. Hospitalization will be necessary because the risk of kidney failure due to HUS is high.
If you’ve been infected after eating a McDonald’s quarter pounder, see a healthcare professional to document your symptoms and ensure you’re OK.
Filing a McDonald’s E. Coli Lawsuit
If you received an E. Coli infection diagnosis after eating a McDonald’s quarter pounder, you have an opportunity to recover financial compensation by filing a lawsuit. Your first step will be to gather sufficient evidence to hold McDonald’s accountable. This will involve proving that:
- You ate food from McDonald’s then became sick from contamination
- A stool sample of yours was tested and the bacterium was found in your stool.
- The food that you consumed, or the location you visited, experienced contamination with the same strain of E. Coli that was found in your stool.
In order to gather this evidence, you will need to visit a healthcare provider immediately upon showing symptoms of an E. Coli infection.
Once you visit a healthcare provider and receive an E. Coli infection diagnosis, it is vital to hire a food poisoning lawyer immediately.
What Does a McDonald’s E. Coli Lawyer Charge?
The lawyers at our firm operate on a contingency fee basis. This means that we do not charge food poisoning clients any fee whatsoever until and unless we obtain a financial recovery for them. Our food poisoning clients are not charged any upfront or out-of-pocket fees. The only fee we charge to handle food poisoning cases is a percentage of any financial recovery obtained for the client.
McDonald’s E. Coli Lawsuit Updates
November 6, 2024 Update
Two customers who got sick from E. coli infections after eating McDonald's quarter pounders filed a class action lawsuit in Illinois on October 29.
The lawsuit alleges that McDonald's was aware or should have been aware that its food was linked with a risk of illness but failed to warn consumers about the risk.
The lawsuit seeks class action status in order to pursue damages for everyone in the United States who bought the hamburgers which got contaminated with the bacteria.
The plaintiffs claim they got ill in early October 2024 after eating the burgers. They claim McDonald's failed to make sure that the burgers were safe.
The lawsuit seeks punitive, statutory and compensatory damages, as well as medical monitoring costs, restitution and an order which prevents the company from selling the burgers until the burgers can be proven safe.
As of October 30, 90 people in 13 states have became ill in the outbreak, leading to 27 hospitalizations and one death.
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers is representing those who became ill in the outbreak. We can let you know whether joining a class action lawsuit or filing an individual lawsuit is a better idea in terms of which will obtain more financial compensation for you. Call us today for a free consultation.
October 31, 2024 Update
Two lawsuits have been filed over the McDonald's E. coli outbreak.
A Nebraska woman filed a lawsuit in Illinois on October 24. The lawsuit alleges that the woman ate at McDonald's on the 18th of September. After numerous days of symptoms which worsened, she says she needed to visit the emergency room, where she received a diagnosis of an E. coli infection.
A Colorado man filed a lawsuit on October 23 in Illinois. The lawsuit indicates he ate at McDonald's on the 4th of October and started displaying E. coli infection symptoms within two days. The man received a positive E. coli test and his stool sample was sent to his county's health department. The department confirmed that his infection was related to the E. coli outbreak at McDonald's.
Contact a McDonald’s E. Coli Attorney Today
Call us today for a free consultation, fill out this page’s free case evaluation form or text us from this page if you or a loved one was diagnosed with an E. Coli infection after eating a McDonald’s quarter pounder. Our lawyers have vast experience in handling food poisoning cases like yours and can recover the most compensation possible on your behalf.
Remember, we won’t charge any fee to handle your McDonald’s case until and unless we recover money for you. Contact us today.
