On Thursday, October 24th, a Colorado man, Eric Stelly, filed the first lawsuit related to McDonald’s recent E. coli outbreak. This legal action comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a food safety alert linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, which have caused 49 reported illnesses across 10 states, including one death. Stelly, who consumed a Quarter Pounder at a McDonald’s in Greeley, Colorado, tested positive for E. coli after experiencing severe gastrointestinal symptoms.
The lawsuit, filed in Cook County, Illinois, where McDonald’s is headquartered, accuses the fast-food giant of negligence and product liability. Stelly’s lawyer, Ron Simon, is also representing other victims of the outbreak.
While the specific source of the contamination remains unconfirmed, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspects that the slivered onions or beef patties used in the Quarter Pounders are likely involved. McDonald’s, along with its supplier Taylor Farms Colorado, has halted the use of slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties in several states, including Colorado and Kansas, while the investigation continues. Taylor Farms has proactively removed onions from the market as a precaution, although no traces of E. coli have been detected in the company’s tests.
McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger emphasized that McDonald’s remains safe for customers. He acknowledged, however, that the number of reported cases could rise as the CDC’s investigation unfolds. “If contaminated products existed, they have likely worked their way out of the supply chain,” he stated.
The outbreak, which primarily affects Colorado and Nebraska, has also led to hospitalizations, including a case of hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication caused by E. coli. While McDonald’s has removed Quarter Pounders from menus in affected states, including Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, the CDC continues to monitor and investigate the situation.
