Food Safety Law Firm Files the First E. coli Lawsuit Against McDonald’s

Food Safety Law Firm, Ron Simmon & Associates, along with Meyers & Flowers, LLC, have filed the first McDonald’s E. coli lawsuit on behalf of Eric Stelly, a resident of Colorado. The lawsuit was filed in Cook County, Illinois.

On October 4, 2024, Eric Stelly purchased and consumed food from his local McDonald’s located at 2912 W. 10th St. in Breely, Colorado. Two days later, he began experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, stomach cramps, dehydration, and bloody stools, which are commonly associated with E. coli poisoning.

On October 8, after he could no longer bear the pain of his illness, he sought medical attention at the Emergency Room at UCHealth in West Greeley. His doctor performed a stool culture, which returned positive for E. coli. His physician also referred him to specialists at the Centers for Gastroenterology to determine the extent of his illness.  A few days later, the Weld County Department of Public Health contacted Mr. Stelly regarding his E. coli diagnosis and confirmed he had consumed food from McDonald’s.  Over 10 victims in Colorado have already been identified.

Mr. Stelly is still recovering from his E. coli illness. 

The McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburger has been linked to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened nearly 50 people across 10 states, resulting in 1 death. The outbreak began at the end of September.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has reported more than 49 cases to date, primarily in Colorado (26 cases) and Nebraska (9 cases). Tragically, an older adult in Colorado became ill and died. Additionally, health officials in Utah and Wyoming each reported 4 illnesses. Other states with reported cases include Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oregon, and Wisconsin.

According to Ron Simon, the attorney representing Mr. Stelly and at least 10 other victims in the outbreak.

The McDonald’s E. coli Outbreak will be one of the most significant food poisoning outbreaks this year.  Through this lawsuit and others, we will make sure that all of the victims are fully compensated for their losses, that their voices are heard, and that McDonald’s and its suppliers permanently fix the health violations that caused the food to become contaminated with E. coli.

The company has confirmed that it has removed the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in the impacted areas as it continues to cooperate with federal officials.

Shares of McDonald’s experienced a sharp decline of 7% in after-hours trading.

This is not the first outbreak linked to MacDonalds as there was an outbreak in 2018 of intestinal illness linked to salads from MacDonalds sickening more than 500 people in more than a dozen states.

Mr. Simon and his law firm have established a McDonald’s E. Coli Claim Center to assist victims in the outbreak.  The McDonald’s E. Coli Claim Center can be reached toll-free at 1-888-335-4901 or by visiting the firm’s website, at https://www.ronsimonassociates.com/.

SOURCE Ron Simon & Associates