I asked our AI friends – What are the pros and cons of replacing FDA Commissioner Makary with me – here is the response? This is a very timely question — Makary resigned as FDA Commissioner today, May 12, 2026, amid reports of internal tensions and policy clashes, with the vaping dispute reportedly being a […]
When I first saw the headline “Pleasure & Peril,” I thought it was about my last week of travel – Seattle to San Fransisco to Chicago to St. Paul to Seattle to Manhattan —- Kansas. My talk to students at K-State today is entitled: “Examining Cases of Legal Liability – Or, why I always win!” […]
The Associated Press reports that Governor Schwarzenegger has asked Mexico President-elect Felipe Calderon to put California spinach back on supermarket shelves when he takes office December first. The Mexican government pulled U-S-imported spinach off shelves after three people died in the U-S died from eating spinach infected with the E-coli bacteria. Mexican officials are expected […]
A couple of weeks ago I spoke to Dick Dahl from Lawyers Weekly. His interesting story (if your my mother) can be found on line in an article entitled – “Cornering the Food Litigation Market” A few of the best points follow: How did the little firm from Puget Sound become THE law firm for […]
Chapel Hill E. coli Cases Rise To Eight The number of people with confirmed cases of E. coli in Chapel Hill has risen to eight. Of the eight confirmed cases, seven are University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students. Health officials said seven of the eight recalled eating at McAlister’s, a restaurant at 205 […]
An interesting story by Brian Gaylord of Produce News was the failure of sale of the Pride of San Juan’s manufacturing operations to Natural Selection Foods in October. Brian wrote: San Juan Bautista, CA-based Natural Selection Foods has decided not to buy neighbor Pride of San Juan’s manufacturing operations after running PSJ’s processing plant for […]
Another Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Tomatoes in Restaurants – Story by Andrew Bridges of the Associated Press – See Full Story See my Press Statement at Salmonella Blog. At least 183 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been sickened. There were no reports of deaths, although 22 people were hospitalized. […]
First to San Francisco on November 7: And, then to Kansas on November 14: If anyone wants copies, please send me an email at bmarler@marlerclark.com
The “Governator” was stumping for office and arrived in Prunedale on Thursday. As reported in the Monterey Herald: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger promised the Prunedale audience to do anything to help revive lagging spinach sales, which are hurting the local agricultural industry after a widespread case of E. coli, even when health officials have assured the […]
It looks like Pacific Grove-based KAZU 90.3 FM, a public radio station, has broken the “code of silence” as to who the rancher and grower may be in the vortex of this latest E. coli outbreak. The audio portion can be found here. And, an updated audio report can be found here too. As reported […]
Woman died in E. coli outbreak Marler Clark has filed a lawsuit in Sarpy County District Court on behalf of a Bellevue woman who died from complications of E. coli. Attorney Bill Marler says 81-year-old Ruby Trautz died of acute kidney failure in late August. Trautz’s death has since been linked to the national E. […]
Salmonella bacteria can grow on tomato skin surfaces and infiltrate core tissues during tomato harvest, packing, and transportation. Dicing and pooling of contaminated tomatoes may play a role in further amplifying the amount of contaminated product. Contamination of internal tissue from the outer skin and stem scar can also occur during cutting and slicing. Finally, […]
In what may become the tag-line for last month’s E. coli/spinach outbreak and this month’s Salmonella/Tomato outbreak, Dr. Doug Powell of Kansas said it best – DON’T EAT Dr. Powell was interviewed by Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY for this morning’s article: Food-borne bacteria evolving, becoming more dangerous The first rule of public health is one […]
The Atlanta Associated Press reports that the salmonella outbreak potentially linked to produce has sickened at least 172 people in 18 states, health officials said Monday. Marler Clark represented over 150 people sickened in a salmonella outbreak linked to tainted tomatoes in 2003. Perhaps this outbreak will take the heat off of the California Lettuce […]
I get asked frequently about how we decide which cases to go forward with. Frankly, how we evaluate cases is quite similair to how Health Departments decide which cases to investigate or not – please see my publication – Separating the Chaff from the Wheat : How to determine the strength of a foodborne illness […]
As reported last Friday by Larry Parsons – Monterey Herald Staff Writer – in “Taking on the spinach stigma – Officials gather to discuss how to restore vegetable’s image after deadly E. coli outbreak,” a group of 60 people lunched Friday on fresh spinach, Congressman Sam Farr said with pride, which according to the FDA […]