E Coli Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark Law Firm : E. coli Blog

Marti Davis of the Knoxville News Sentinel spoke with the McDonald family, whose two children became ill with E. coli infections last fall after eating Cargill ground beef patties.  Davis noted that only John McDonald, the children's father, has eaten ground beef since his children's illness.  The rest of the family has not reintroduced ground beef into their diet since September.  She wrote:

That's when preschoolers John and Michaela McDonald shared a burger that led to a prolonged stay in intensive care and cost 4-year-old John part of his bowel and colon. Jim and Georgia McDonald, parents of four, purchased the frozen hamburgers at Sam's Club near their West Knoxville home a few days before the patties were recalled.

Surgery to bypass John's digestive tract was reversed in December, and both children are well for now, Jim McDonald said, but no members of his family, other than himself, have eaten ground beef since the illness.

His children were hospitalized a few days after the family prepared the beef at a cookout, unaware of the recall. They were among victims nationwide who became ill from tainted burgers prepared by the Cargill Co., an international agribusiness giant based in Minnesota.

Davis is following claims brought by the McDonald family, who is represented by Marler Clark.  The family filed a lawsuit against Cargill last year, but has withdrawn the lawsuit in the hopes that Cargill will compensate the children for injuries they sustained through mediation instead of a jury trial.

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Marler Clark filed a lawsuit today in United States District Court for the District of Minnesota on behalf of Knoxville, Tennessee, residents Jim and Georgia McDonald and their two children, who both became ill with E. coli O157:H7 infections and were hospitalized after eating hamburgers made from Cargill ground beef patties in September. 

According to the complaint, the McDonald family purchased Cargill ground beef patties on September 17^th and cooked and ate the hamburgers on September 29^th. Four-year-old John McDonald was seen in the emergency room on October 3, where he was treated for dehydration and released. The next day, he was taken by ambulance to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, and was admitted. While hospitalized, John developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, pancreatitis, compromised liver function, and bowel necrosis. He was later transferred to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for dialysis, and on October 16^th underwent surgery to have part of his bowel removed. After nearly a month’s hospitalization, John was discharged from the hospital on October 29, but has not yet fully recovered from his E. coli infection and the following complications. 

One-year-old Michaela McDonald fell ill with symptoms of E. coli infection about a day after John, and was treated for dehydration at the emergency room on October 5^th. By October 7, Michaela’s symptoms had not improved, and she was admitted to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. When her brother was transferred to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, Michaela was also transferred. She remained hospitalized for over a week.

For further information about the lawsuit, please contact Suzanne Schreck at (206) 346-1879 or sschreck@marlerclark.com.

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According to a news report on WDEF-TV, seven people who ate at the same restaurant in Hixson, Tennessee between July 8th and 20th became ill with E. coli O157:H7 infections. Four children from one family all became ill, with at least one child needing supportive care when she developed hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Three of the King's four children contracted the bacteria... Four year old Lexie has improved dramatically... Doctors once feared she wouldn't recover.

. . . Lexie's older sister, Kelsey, spent several days in the hospital while younger brother, Harley, was treated and released for the bacteria.

King says the family is now very cautious about where they eat.

Read more about the outbreak at the WDEF TV Web site.

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Seven People Who Contracted Bacteria Ate At Same Restaurant

Rebecca Cruz
WDEF-TV, A Media General Station
Aug 23, 2006

Health department confirm seven people who fell ill ate at a Hixson restaurant between July 8th and 20th. Since then, restaurant employees all tested negative for the bacteria. Health inspectors required workers to thoroughly sanitize the restaurant.

Three of the King's four children contracted the bacteria... Four year old Lexie has improved dramatically... Doctors once feared she wouldn't recover.

Mother Janet King says Lexie's condition improved dramatically when she came home from the hospital.

Janet King "Lexie's a miracle.. She's just... It's just proof that God is still in control, and, he's still performing miracles today. And, we're so thankful for that"

Lexie "Jesus healed me..."

Lexie's older sister, Kelsey, spent several days in the hospital while younger brother, Harley, was treated and released for the bacteria. King says the family is now very cautious about where they eat...

Janet King "We make sure all we eat is cooked. I'm not sure we'll be eating a lot of red meat from now on, but, we do... There's certain restaurants we choose not to eat at."

The ordeal devastated the family financially. Janet's husband Mark, a Hamilton County deputy missed five weeks of work while doctors treated the kids in and out of the hospital.

King says she's more than grateful for the family, friends, who helped them during their time of need.

Janet King "If we could just go and give each and everyone of them a hug, but, there's no way, no words can explain the appreciation that we have for everyone..."

Friends are hosting a daylong benefit this Saturday at Veterna's Park in Soddy-Daisy. Proceeds will help the Kings with extraordinary medical bills they now have.

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WDEF-TV, A Media General Station
Jul 31, 2006

Good news comes in from Knoxville, where two daughters of a Hamilton County deputy have undergone treatment for e-coli. Three out of four of Mark King's children came down with the bacteria mid-July. Doctors released 8 year old Kelsey from the hospital over the weekend. They upgraded the condition of her four-year-old sister Lexie from critical to serious. One-year old Harley is already home. The Health Department still has not determined where the family contracted the e-coli.

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Three children from one family became ill with E. coli O157:H7 infections in early July. One child remains hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome, and the other two are recovering.

The story "Children With E-Coli Sickness Improving," on Nashville's Newschannel9.com described the children's saga of being in and out of the hospital:

Three children got so sick, they had to go the hospital, one has completely recovered, another is on her way.

But the middle child remains in a Knoxville hospital.

18 month old Harley King is happy and healthy today, according to relatives.

But over the last ten days, he has been to Children's Hospital twice fighting off the symptoms of E-Coli.

His eight year old sister Kelsey is expected to be released from a Knoxville hospital this afternoon.

The news is not as good for four year old sister Alexis. She remains in the Knoxville hospital with attention focused on her kidneys.

The full article can be found at Newschannel9.com.

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By CLAUDIA PINTO, Staff Writer
The Tennessean
Thursday, 06/29/06

LAFAYETTE, Tenn. -- Nine toddlers who attend the same Macon County day-care center and one of their siblings were sickened with an E. coli bacterium that typically causes severe diarrhea, and in extreme cases can lead to kidney failure or even death.

Four of the 10 children, all younger than 6, were hospitalized in Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. One child is being treated for kidney failure, two for reduced kidney function and one for severe diarrhea, according to a Vanderbilt doctor. The other infected children are recovering at home, Tennessee Department of Health officials said.

"We are hopeful that there won't be any additional cases," said Dr. John Dunn, medical epidemiologist for the state Health Department. "All of the families have been notified. The day care has done everything we have asked them to do as far as cleaning. Additionally, it voluntarily closed this week because of the number of sick children."

Continue reading this story on The Tennessean's Web site.

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10 children sickened by E. coli; four hospitalized

By CLAUDIA PINTO
The Tennessean
Staff Writer
June 28, 2006

LAFEYETTE - Nine toddlers who attend the same Macon County day care center and one of their siblings were sickened with E. coli bacteria that typically causes severe diarrhea and in extreme cases can lead to kidney failure or even death.

Four of those children -- who are all under age 6 -- are hospitalized at Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital. One child is being treated for kidney failure, two for reduced kidney function and one for severe diarrhea, according to a Vanderbilt doctor. The other infected children are recovering at home, Tennessee Department of Health officials said.

Continue reading this article on The Tennessean Web site.

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LAFAYETTE, TN (June 28, 2006) -- An E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has been traced to a Macon County, Tennessee, day care center. The Tennessee Department of Health reported that nine children became ill with E. coli infections, after being exposed to an ill child at Paulette's Group Day Care Home. Two of the children were admitted to Children's Hospital after the E. coli bacteria caused their kidneys to shut down.

E. coli O157:H7 causes a diarrheal illness that results in painful abdominal cramping, nausea, and bloody diarrhea. Five to ten percent of children who become ill with E. coli O157:H7 infections develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication that can cause kidney failure as well as damage to the pancreas, liver, brain, and heart. Children with HUS can develop medical conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, and often require medical monitoring and treatment throughout the rest of their lives.

A representative for the Tennessee Department of Health reported that the index case, or child who became ill and was the likely source of infection among the other nine children at the day care, attended the day care facility for three to four days while he was experiencing symptoms of E. coli infection.

"Any day care operator should have measures in place to prevent the spread of diarrheal illness at their facility, even if it means sending a kid home until they're feeling better and able to pass solid stool," said William Marler, an attorney who has represented hundreds of victims of E. coli outbreaks. "I understand that having an outbreak is a day care operator's worst nightmare, but this nightmare was largely preventable."

Marler and the attorneys at Marler Clark have represented dozens of children who have become sick with E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogenic bacteria while attending day care. The firm recently settled the case of a Missouri child who suffered an E. coli infection and HUS after being exposed to the E. coli bacterium at a day care center in Joplin, Missouri.

For more information, contact Suzanne Schreck at (206) 346-1879 or sschreck@marlerclark.com.

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By Jerry Greenway
Macon county Times

Six confirmed cases of a serious E. coli infection and four additional "suspected" cases are being looked into by the state Department of Health, according to Debbie Hoy of the agency's Cookeville office this Tuesday. All of the infected children, ages 5 and under, attended the same Key Road day care facility operated by Paulette Colter, west of Lafayette.

"Most of the six children with confirmed cases have been released from Sumner Regional Medical Center or treated by their family doctor and sent home with their parents," said Ms. Hoy. Two children, a girl age three-years and a sixteen month old boy, remain in Vanderbilt Children's Hospital where they are receiving treatment.

Ms. Hoy said she could not discuss the medical condition of the hospitalized children, but all of the children who have been treated and released are improving and doing well, she said.

An additional four young children have shown symptoms but have not become dangerously ill from the E. coli strain of infection, which can lead to serious complications including damage to the kidneys.

To continue reading this article, visit the Macon County Times Web site.

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June 28, 2006
News Channel 5 - Nashville

There was an E. coli bacteria outbreak at a day care center in Macon County. Two toddlers were in the hospital as a result. Eight other children were recovering Tuesday.

The Health Department has begun investigating.

Tuesday night, investigators said they believe one child somehow contracted E. coli, then went to the day care center in Lafayette. Nine other kids got sick days later.

Tuesday night, two of those kids were in the hospital after their kidneys shut down.

"That is a very serious condition," said Dr. John Dunn with the Tennessee Department of Health.

Investigators said the life-threatening bacteria produces powerful toxins in humans.

To continue reading this article, visit the News Channel 5 Web site.

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