Welcome to Pritzker | Ruohonen

Mark’s Quality Meats, Inc. Recalls Meat Distributed to Detroit Area Restaurants - Lawsuit Information

SteakOn January 5, 2008, the USDA-FSIS announced a recall of about 13,150 pounds of beef products (steak and ground beef products) that may be contamintated with E. coli O157:H7.  The beef products were voluntarily recalled by Mark’s Quality Meats, Inc., a Detroit, Michigan company. 

The steak and ground beef products subject to recall were produced on December 20, 21, 24 or 26, 2007, and were distributed to restaurants in the metropolitan Detroit area. These products were not available for purchase by consumers in retail establishments.

The recall announcement did not list the Detroit restaurants involved in the recall.  Instead, the announcement states, “Anyone who consumed these types of products at Detroit area restaurants and is experiencing an illness should contact a physician immediately.”  We have contacted the USDA requesting them to provide a list of Detroit restaurants involved in this outbreak.

The following is some information that Detroit residents may find useful in light of this Mark’s Quality Meats recall:

  • The incubation period is generally between 3 and 8 days.  This means a person does not generally experience symptoms of E. coli until days after a contaminated food product is consumed.  There have been rare instances where the symptoms did appear within 24 hours.
  • The primary symptoms of E. coli include severe abdominal cramping and bloody diarrhea (sometimes it is just very watery).  Sometimes a person will also experience a mild fever, nausea and vomiting.
  • To have a legal case, you need to get medical treatment.  You need to provide a stool sample and request that tests be done on the sample to determine if you have been sickened by E. coli O157:H7.  Let the doctor know that you do not want the stool sample destroyed because further testing will have to be done if you are diagnosed with an E. coli O157:H7 infection.
  • Have the doctor take the stool sample before you take any prescribed medication.
  • Sometimes a person infected with E. coli O157:H7 develops hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) before the E. coli is diagnosed.  If this happens, in addition to a stool sample, have the doctor swab the anal area and test that also.  Sometimes the E. coli has passed through the body before patients get treatment for HUS.  In these cases, there may be some E. coli bacteria still by the anus.
  • If you are diagnosed with an E. coli O157:H7 infection, contact us for information regarding genetic fingerprinting tests that will need to be done to connect your illness to the Mark’s Quality Meats recalled beef.
  • Even if you are not sick, you may want to contact any Detroit restaurant where you ate beef and ask if the restaurant used recalled Mark’s Quality Meat beef, a list of which can be found on the USDA-FSIS website.
  • If you are sick or are waiting to see if you become ill and you have any leftover beef from a Detroit restaurant, you should not throw those leftovers away until you are sure no one was sickened by them. 

We are a leading foodborne illness litigation law firm with extensive experience in the area of E. coli lawsuits.  We represent victims of E. coli outbreaks and the families of people who died from E. coli and its complications, including HUS.  To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s free case consultation form.


Free Case Consultation





Logos

Firm News

Fred Pritzker Listed in The Best Lawyers in America

Fred Pritzker has been notified that he will again be listed in The Best Lawyers in America.

 

Taste of Chicago

Pritzker | Ruohonen attorney Rich Ruohonen is managing attorney for our Taste of Chicago / Pars Cove Salmonella cases, which involve a Salmonella outbreak with over 180 confirmed cases of Salmonella. Contact Rich Ruohonen regarding these cases at 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free).

 

E. coli Wrongful Death Settlement

We have recently settled a number of E. coli cases involving victims of various E. coli outbreaks, including a wrongful death claim.

 

Attorney Rich Ruohonen Has Article Published

Rich Ruohonen's recently published article addresses effective cross examination of the defence neuropsychologist.

Foodborne Outbreaks