Water E. coli Lawsuit Settlement

An E. coli hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) lawsuit involving contaminated well water has been settled by food safety attorneys at Pritzker Olsen law firm. Although E. coli infections are more commonly associated with contaminated food like ground beef, it is entirely possible to contract E. coli poisoning from water supplies as well.

In this particular case, an Iowa toddler became sick from E. coli-contaminated well water that served as the water supply to the rural home her family rented. In May of 2007 she became sick with symptoms of an E. coli infection, including severe diarrhea and abdominal pain. She was hospitalized and her symptoms worsened as the pathogen infected her blood. Her condition, known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (E. coli HUS), destroyed her red blood cells and kept the kidneys from serving their purpose as filters that clean and remove waste from the bloodstream.

She was put on kidney dialysis and remained in the hospital for about a month. Even three years later, she has permanent kidney damage and will continue to require medication and treatment, and could need a kidney transplant later in life.

Employees of the Iowa county where the home is located tested tap water from the house in June of 2007 and the results were positive for E. coli. The home is surrounded by pasture land, and cattle are known to graze on land uphill from the well. Expert witnesses, including a geohydrologist and a microbiologist, were hired to examine the situation and confirmed that cattle manure in rainwater most likely drained into the well and contaminated the water with the pathogen.

Water E. coli Contamination Information

There are many types, or “strains” of pathogenic E. coli that can contaminate well water and cause serious illness and death:

Because harmful strains of E. coli can live in animal and human digestive systems, they can therefore be found in animal and human waste. After any kind of precipitation—a rainfall, a snowmelt—E. coli from animal or human fecal matter can wash into groundwater, rivers, lakes and streams. This can consequently contaminate water sources and, if the water isn’t sufficiently treated, can make people seriously sick.

Keywords: E. coli infection from water, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), TTP, diarrhea, settlement, money for E. coli victim, daughter has E. coli infection from well water, hospitalized with E. coli from well water, E coli class action lawsuit.

Free Case Consultation

Fred Pritzker on Twitter

Case count grows to 35 in #raw milk Campylobacter outbreak http://t.co/wzJvRMxN
Institutional egg recall by Michael Foods has created a domino of recalls at food stores: http://t.co/OWKQGexz
Foodborne illness outbreak linked to high school basketball game in South Dakota. http://t.co/2Kt8kArb
Upcoming raw milk debate at Harvard. http://t.co/pTTxwf6k #foodsafety #rawmilk
Family Cow raw milk outbreak grows to more than 30 cases: http://t.co/HVUCgMLs
Maryland lab tests confirm Campylobacter in samples of raw milk, 23 now sick. http://t.co/keDFpYCd
Hannaford Supermarket Ground Beef Outbreak Final Update: http://t.co/bRI3qGrh
Campylobacter and raw milk, a dangerous pair. http://t.co/8EjNWpy1

Fred Pritzker is listed in The Best Lawyers in America

This is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The result of each case is determined by the specific facts and the applicable law.