Campylobacter Blog - Surveillance & analysis on Campylobacter news & outbreaks

Sep 26 2005
Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

Last week was dominated by the growing E.coli O157 outbreak which hit schoolchildren across South Wales. As food-borne illnesses continue to affect millions every year, Health Editor Madeleine Brindley and the Food Standards Agency Wales present an instant guide to food poisoning

EVERY year it is estimated that one in 10 people will suffer from a bout of food poisoning as a result of eating food contaminated with bacteria.

At its most serious, food poisoning can lead to severe illnesses and even kill.

Bacteria and germs in food are very hard to detect because they do not affect either the taste, appearance or smell of food.

William Marler (Bill) is the managing partner in the law firm Marler Clark L.L.P., P.S. Since 1993, Bill has represented thousands of victims of E. coli, Salmonella, Hepatitis A, Listeria, Shigella, Campylobacter and Norovirus illnesses in over thirty States.

Food poisoning lawsuits against companies responsible for introducing contaminated food into our food supply have become the focus of Bill's professional career as an attorney. Bill's first client who was injured after consuming contaminated food was nine-year-old Brianne Kiner, who fell with an E. coli O157:H7 infection and Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome after eating a contaminated hamburger during the now-infamous Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak of 1993. Bill negotiated a $15.6 million settlement for Brianne's injuries, a record in the State of Washington for personal injury cases. He resolved several other cases from the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak for over $2.5 million each.

Bill, known as the "E. coli lawyer," has since represented thousands of people sickened or killed in outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 and other food borne pathogens, including Salmonella, Hepatitis, Shigella, Campylobacter, Norovirus, and Listeria. In 1998, he negotiated a reported $12 million settlement for the families of children who fell ill after drinking E. coli-contaminated apple juice sold by Odwalla; and in 2001, a jury awarded the families of eleven children Bill represented $4.6 million for the injuries they received during an E. coli outbreak traced to school lunch served at Finley Elementary School in Finley, Washington. He also resolved dozens of E. coli cases in 2003 related to one of the largest meat recalls in United States history. Bill recently settled an E. coli case for a young girl for $11 million. In addition, he has been lead counsel in litigation stemming from the following:

Seneca Lake State Park Cryptosporidium Outbreak

Dole Lettuce E. coli Outbreak

Sheetz Salmonella Outbreak

Paramount Farms Salmonella Outbreak

Sequoias Portola Valley E. coli Outbreak

Chi-Chi's Hepatitis A Outbreak

Gold Coast Produce E. coli Outbreak

Golden Corral Salmonella Outbreak

Habanero's E. coli Outbreak

Chili's Salmonella Outbreak

Peninsula Village E. coli Outbreak

Harmony Farms Salmonella Outbreak

Clarkston Quality Inn Salmonella Outbreak

KFC Salmonella Outbreak

Spokane Produce - E. coli Outbreak

Emmpak E. coli Outbreak

King Garden E. coli Outbreak

BJ's E. coli Outbreak

ConAgra E. coli Outbreak

Brook-Lea Salmonella Outbreak

Kunick Salmonella Outbreak

Western Sizzlin' Salmonella Outbreak

Shipley Sales Salmonella Outbreak

Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel Norwalk Outbreak

Abbott Cheese Listeria Outbreak

Robeson School District E. coli Outbreak

Black Forrest Salmonella Outbreak n

Bauer Meat E. coli Outbreak

Malt-O-Meal Salmonella Outbreak

Golden Corral E. coli Outbreak

Sun Orchard Salmonella Outbreak

Subway Hepatitis A Outbreak

San Antonio Taco Salmonella Outbreak

Karl Ehmer E. coli Outbreak

Supervalu E. coli Outbreak

Linh's Bakery Salmonella Outbreak

McDonalds Hepatitis A Outbreak

China Buffet E. coli Outbreak

Royal Fork Shigella Outbreak

Kentucky Fried Chicken E. coli Outbreak

D'Angelo's Hepatitis A Outbreak

Viva Mexico Shigella Outbreak

Sizzler E. coli Outbreak

Carl's Jr. Hepatitis A Outbreak

Wendy's E. coli Outbreak

Senor Felix Shigella Outbreak

Excel E. coli Outbreak

Bill speaks frequently on issues of safe food and formed OutBreak, Inc., (see www.outbreakinc.com), a non-profit business dedicated to training companies on how to avoid food borne diseases. He has been chosen by the attorneys of the State of Washington as a "Super Lawyer," he has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Attorneys. He is married to Julie Marler and they have three daughters, Morgan, Olivia and Sydney. Bill is a past board member of the Washington State Trial Lawyers, a member of the board of directors of Bainbridge Youth Services, and a member of the Children's Hospital Circle of Care. He is involved in numerous other civic and political causes.

14/09/05 - Health news section

A common stomach bug that strikes more than 42,000 people a year could be spread in tap water, experts warned.

Campylobacter, the commonest reported bacterial cause of infectious intestinal disease in England and Wales, causes severe diarrhoea, stomach pain and vomiting.

The bug is linked to undercooked meat, especially chicken, unpasteurised milk and untreated water and can also be spread by pets.