Woman sues McDonald's in Cook County, says she got sick from Quarter Pounder amid E. coli outbreak
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Popular fast-food restaurants are holding the onions after the vegetable was identified as the likely source of the E. coli outbreak among Quarter Pounder hamburgers at McDonald's.
Some of those who got sick after eating the Quarter Pounder are also going after the Chicago-based company in court. The fast-food giant is quickly getting hit with a mountain of lawsuits—including at least two this week in Cook County Circuit Court.
Dozens more lawsuits are expected.
One Cook County lawsuit was filed by a Nebraska woman who said an E. coli infection left her hospitalized last month.
"I had had the Quarter Pounder," said Clarissa DeBock. "I have never been sick like that before."
DeBock said she was hospitalized last month after eating the Quarter Pounder at a Nebraska McDonald's. Her description of what happened next was graphic.
"Severe diarrhea, nausea, there was some bloody stool," she said.
DeBock said she is one of the 49 people in 10 states diagnosed in the E. coli outbreak linked to the Quarter Pounder at McDonald's.
"It makes you lose your trust," she said. "If a corporation that big is having these issues, it kind of makes you wonder."
Food safety attorney Ron Simon filed the Cook County lawsuit against McDonald's on DeBock's behalf. He accused the burger giant of "failing to prevent human, insect, and/or animal feces from coming into contact with the products."
"Unfortunately, we've handled dozens of cases against McDonald's and Taylor Farms for this exact same thing." Simon said.
Taylor Farms, a supplier of fresh sliced onions to McDonald's and a potential source of the outbreak, removed yellow onions from its Colorado plant out of an abundance of caution.
Yum Brands, owner of Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, said fresh onions have been pulled from some of its restaurants.
"I think those other companies are acting responsibly," Simon said. "The minute they knew that onions were implicated—and possibly their onions—they pulled them off the shelves."
Right now, there are about 50 E. coli cases linked to the Quarter Pounder, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects that number to rise.
The attorney with whom CBS News Chicago spoke said he would not be surprised if there are hundreds of cases.
So far, one person has died.
No E. coli cases have been reported in Chicago or Illinois.
McDonald's said they take food safety management very seriously and have removed slivered onions they were able to source to a single supplier and paused their distribution in the impacted areas. Officials released the following statement:
"Across the McDonald's System, serving customers safely in every single restaurant, each and every day, is our top priority and something we'll never compromise on.
It is why we are taking swift and decisive action following an E. Coli outbreak in certain states. The initial findings from the investigation indicate that a subset of illnesses may be linked to slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder and sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers. As a result, and in line with our safety protocols, all local restaurants have been instructed to remove this product from their supply and we have paused the distribution of all slivered onions in the impacted area.
Out of an abundance of caution, we are also temporarily removing the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in the impacted area, including Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. We take food safety extremely seriously and it's the right thing to do. Impacted restaurants are receiving a stock recovery notice today and should reach out to their field supply chain manager or distribution center with any questions."