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Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

Missouri E. coli

Contact Attorney Fred PritzkerSt. Louis E. coli Outbreak
An antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli is the cause of an outbreak that has stricken dozens of people in the St. Louis area: St. Louis County, Jefferson County,St. Charles County, St. Louis City and St. Clair County. Read about a Schnucks E. coli lawsuit.

Missouri E. coli Outbreak Update: An E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak in Jasper County, Missouri, has killed a 51-year-old Carthage woman and sickened several other people, including two others who had confirmed cases of E. coli 0157:H7 infection. Jasper County Health Department Director Tony Moehr said the outbreak stemmed from contaminated food or beverage served at the Thanksgiving family dinner November 27. Read more about the E. coli death in Missouri on our food poisoning law blog.

Missouri E. Coli Victims Have Legal Right to Compensation

E coli Food PoisoningIf the source of a Missouri E. coli O157:H7 outbreak can be found, the victims of that outbreak generally have a legal right to compensation. This is because food contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 is adulterated, and therefore legally defective. The theories of law generally used to recover compensation for the victims are strict liability, breach of contract and negligence. An attorney who knows how to sue a food manufacturing company or restaurant for food poisoning should be consulted.

Depending on the facts of the case, a lawsuit may be filed in state or federal court. The facts will also determine if the suit is filed in Missouri or another state. These are critical decisions that should be made by an experienced attorney.

Missouri state trial courts are called circuit courts. Missouri's counties and the city of St. Louis are organized into 45 judicial circuits. There is a circuit court in every county. The court is typically in the county seat (or the city of St. Louis) and may be in additional locations in the county.

U.S. District Courts in Missouri include the following:

  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, with locations in St. Louis, Cape Girardeau and Hannibal
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, with locations in Kansas City, Jefferson City, Springfield, Joplin and St. Joseph

10 Things Missouri E. Coli Victims Should Know

  1. A food manufacturer that distributes a food product contaminated with E. coli O157 is generally liable (responsible to pay compensation) for any illnesses associated with consumption of that food and secondary infections (for example, a child that contracts an E. coli infection from a parent who ate contaminated food).
  2. A food manufacturer is generally liable for E. coli food poisoning associated with its products, even if the food was prepared in a home and not cooked long enough to kill the bacteria. Although companies continue to use this to try get out of paying money to victims, it is not a defense because they should not have distributed contaminated food.
  3. If food consumed at a restaurant or other eating establishment caused the Missouri E. coli outbreak, the restaurant is generally liable even if the specific food source can't be found.
  4. In cases not involving food served at an eating establishment, the food source of the outbreak generally needs to be found for the victims to get compensation. Though most cases of E coli O157:H7 food poisoning result from contaminated ground beef, other outbreaks have been linked to spinach, lettuce, pepperoni pizza, cookie dough, unpasteurized apple and orange juice and milk, raw milk cheese, alfalfa sprouts, and even water.
  5. Compensation for an E. coli infection should include amounts for all complications of the infection, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a related illness that is sometimes referred to as adult HUS. In addition to kidney failure, HUS and TTP can cause brain damage, seizures, coma, encephalopathy, blindness, hypertension, stroke, heart failure, pancreatitis and death.
  6. New research has found that even mild cases of E. coli O157:H7 illness can cause serious health problems in the future, including kidney damage and heart failure.
  7. It is critically important for anyone who may be part of a Missouri E. coli outbreak to get tested to see if their E. coli O157:H7 is a genetic match to the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. This is done with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).
  8. A detailed analysis of many factors, including future medical expenses and future lost earnings, should be done to determine the amount of victim compensation.
  9. Any leftover food that may be the cause of an E. coli infection should be saved for future testing. This food should not be eaten.
  10. All cases of suspected E. coli poisoning in Missouri should be reported to state and local health departments.

Pritzker Olsen attorneys have appeared on national and local news programs discussing food safety and litigation against food manufacturers, restaurants and others. Our law firm works with local counsel to obtain justice for E. coli victims throughout the United States. To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online consultation form.

Contact Attorney Fred Pritzker

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Cities: Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Independence, Columbia, Lee's Summit, O'Fallon, St. Joseph, St. Charles, St. Peters, Blue Springs, Florissant.


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