All News / Outbreaks /

Egg Recall Sparks Food Fight

By Nathan Koppel, The Wall Street Journal Law Blog

August 23, 2010

A recent nationwide recall of eggs appears poised to touch off a litigation egg-splosion. (We couldn’t resist.)

An Iowa egg producer this month announced the recall of about 500 million eggs that may be contaminated with salmonella.

It didn’t take long for Seattle lawyer William Marler (pictured), perhaps the nation’s leading tainted-food attorney, to spring into action.

Today in Iowa, he plans to file suit on on behalf of an 11-year-old girl in California who ended up in the hospital after eating eggs, according to an article in the USA Today. (The egg producer has declined to comment.)

Marler’s law firm, Marler Clark, has also filed suit in Wisconsin on behalf of a woman who claims she got sick after eating eggs at a restaurant in the state.

Marler told the National Law Journal that his firm has about 30 cases that appear linked to the egg recall.

“We may sue in federal court in Iowa and try to consolidate the case,” he told NLJ.

The salmonella outbreak has likely sickened 1,300 people, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA Today reports. No deaths have been reported.

Marler, according to this earlier WSJ profile, made his name in food-poisoning litigation in the early 1990s representing hundreds of plaintiffs against the Jack in the Box hamburger chain. His firm has since snared multimillion-dollars settlements against a number of food companies.

While Marler is a salmonella specialist, his firm also runs the E. coli Blog, and he once even boasted a shiny red Volkswagen with a lice plate that read: ECOL I.

Get Help

Affected by an outbreak or recall?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

Get a free consultation
Related Resources
Salmonella Food Poisoning

What is Salmonella and how does it cause food poisoning? The term Salmonella refers to a specific group of gram-negative bacteria with the potential to cause gastrointestinal distress and other...

The Incidence of Salmonella Infections

Typhoidal Salmonella Salmonella enterica serotypes Typhi, Sendai, and Paratyphi A, B, or C are found exclusively in humans. These serotypes, collectively referred to as typhoidal Salmonella, cause enteric fever (also...

The Prevalence of Salmonella in Food and Elsewhere

Most Salmonella infections are caused by eating contaminated food. One study found that 87% of all confirmed cases of Salmonella are foodborne. Foods of animal origin, including meat, poultry, eggs...

Transmission of Salmonella Bacteria

In the past two decades, consumption of produce, especially sprouts, tomatoes, fruits, leafy greens, nuts, and nut butters, has been associated with Salmonella illnesses. The surface of fruits and vegetables...

Symptoms of Salmonella Infection

Symptoms of Salmonella infection include painful abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and fever. Salmonella infections can have a broad range of illness, from no symptoms to severe illness. The most common clinical...

Outbreak Database

Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

View Outbreak Database