[Jack]

JUST A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL ANNOUNCED A DEADLY E. COLI OUTBREAK INVOLVING ONIONS SERVED AT MCDONALD’S WAS OVER – THE FAST-FOOD CHAIN HAS NOW BEEN HIT WITH A LAWSUIT FROM A COLORADO MOTHER AND HER 10-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.

IT WAS ON OCTOBER 22^ND WHEN TAYLOR FARMS INITIATED A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF YELLOW ONIONS DISTRIBUTED TO MCDONALD’S FOR ITS QUARTER-POUNDER BURGERS. THE FAST-FOOD CHAIN STOPPED USING THE ONIONS AT SOME OF ITS RESTAURANTS AND STOPPED SOURCING FROM A COLORADO SPRINGS TAYLOR FARMS FACTORY INDEFINITELY –

BUT NOT BEFORE THE CDC SAYS THE E. COLI OUTBREAK SICKENED AT LEAST 104 PEOPLE IN 14 STATES AND LED TO ONE DEATH IN COLORADO – THE STATE THAT HAD THE LARGEST NUMBER OF THOSE SICKENED— AT LEAST 30 PEOPLE IN TOTAL.

NOW, TWO OF THOSE COLORADO RESIDENTS WHO ALLEGEDLY GOT SICK FROM EATING THE ONIONS ARE SUING MCDONALD’S AND TAYLOR FARMS.

ACCORDING TO THE LAWSUIT FILED DECEMBER 16TH – 29-YEAR-OLD GEOVANNA ZAMBRANO AND HER 10-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER ORDERED THE BURGERS FROM MCDONALD’S OCTOBER 17^TH.

THE NEXT DAY THE TWO EXPERIENCED SIGNS OF E. COLI POISONING INCLUDING NAUSEA AND STOMACH CRAMPS.

THE LAWSUIT SAYS THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER WENT TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE THEY WERE DIAGNOSED WITH VIRAL GASTROENTERITIS – AND THE SYMPTOMS CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

IN THE FILED COMPLAINT, MORGAN & MORGAN ATTORNEYS JOHN MORGAN AND AARON CLITE SAID QUOTE “The most basic duty of the companies that grow, package, cook and prepare our food is to not make us sick. We allege that McDonald’s, which touts itself as the world’s largest fast-food chain, has failed to meet that baseline expectation.”

MCDONALD’S SAYS IT DOES NOT COMMENT ON ACTIVE LITIGATION – BUT DIRECTED LOCAL NEWS STATIONS TO COMMENTS MADE BY ITS U.S. PRESIDENT JOE ERLINGER IN OCTOBER.

[JOE ERLINGER | PRESIDENT, MCDONALD’S USA]

“On behalf of the McDonald’s system, I want you to hear from me we are sorry. For those customers affected you have my commitment that led by our values we will make this right. As we move forward I want to reassure you that customers can continue to count on McDonald’s to always do the right thing.”

THE SUIT BY THE COLORADO MOTHER AND DAUGHTER  FOLLOWS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST TAYLOR FARMS IN NOVEMBER AND ANOTHER AGAINST MCDONALD’S FILED IN DECEMBER.

ATTORNEYS SAY THIS NEWEST LAWSUIT IS THE FIRST RELATED TO THE OUTBREAK TO INCLUDE A CHILD PLAINTIFF.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M JACK AYLMER.

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