Salmonella Red Onion Outbreak Sickens over 800, Marler Clark files 12th lawsuit
(Denver, Colorado) Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, and Montgomery, Little & Soran, have filed the 12th lawsuit against Thomson International on behalf of a Colorado resident, who is one of the 869 sickened in the United States and Canada due to Salmonella Newport tainted onions.
“This is one of the largest Salmonella outbreaks we have seen in a decade,” said Marler Clark managing partner, Bill Marler. “Unfortunately, it can be expected that the number of ill will continue to rise along with the number of those hospitalized, “added Marler.
As of August 18, 2020, a total of 869 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport have been reported from 47 states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 19, 2020, to July 23, 2020. Ill people range in age with fifty-four percent of ill people being female. Of the 343 ill people with information available, 85 hospitalizations have been reported with no deaths identified at this time.
States reporting Salmonella cases are as follows: Alaska (15), Alabama (1), Arizona (35), Arkansas (2), California (115), Colorado (25), Connecticut (2), Delaware (2), Florida (5), Georgia (6), Hawaii (3), Idaho (34), Illinois (49), Indiana (3), Iowa (23), Kansas (2), Kentucky (1), Maine (5), Maryland (7), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (44), Montanta (63), Minnesota (14), Mississippi (2), Missouri (6), Nebraska (10), Nevada (11), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (2), New Mexico (1), New York (10), North Carolina (5), North Dakota (9), Ohio (11), Oregon (94), Pennsylvania (15), Rhode Island (2), South Carolina (1), South Dakota (20), Tennessee (5), Utah (105), Virginia (10), Washington (50), West Virginia (2), Wisconsin (10), Wyoming (17).
As of August 21, 2020, there have been 379 confirmed cases of Salmonella Newport illness linked to this same outbreak in Canada. Individuals became sick between mid-June and late July 2020. Fifty-nine individuals have been hospitalized, with no identified deaths at this time. Health officials report cases in the following provinces: British Columbia (100), Alberta (207), Saskatchewan (26), Manitoba (24), Ontario (8), Quebec (13) and Prince Edward Island (1).
The traceback information collected from these illness clusters identified Thomson International, Inc., of Bakersfield, Calif., as a likely source of red onions. Due to the way onions are grown and harvested, other onion types, such as, white, yellow, or sweet yellow, may also be contaminated.
On August 1, 2020, Thomson International, Inc., voluntarily recalled red, yellow, white, and sweet yellow onions because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. An additional traceback investigation is ongoing to determine if other onions are linked to the outbreak.
Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $750 million for clients. Our Salmonella attorneys have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants.
If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact Marler Clark for a free case evaluation.