Megan Richards - The 2006 Wendy's E. coli O121:H19 Outbreak
On June 30, 2006, Megan Richards attended a CORE luncheon in Harrisville, Utah, where she ate a BLT catered by a nearby Wendy’s. Unfortunately, the L in her BLT turned out to be contaminated with a rare strain of E. coli bacteria: E. coli O121:H19, which would leave her with severe, long-term health problems.
After her initial symptoms of food poisoning did not resolve themselves, Megan was admitted to the hospital 8 days after eating the contaminated food. Her kidneys began to fail due to a severe complication of E. coli poisoning called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). She experienced seizures, blood clots, and days on end of delirium. Sixteen days later, she was released, only to begin an intensive regime of dialysis, followed by a lifetime of negative effects of her infection. She incurred lasting central nervous system damage, and will likely require multiple kidney transplants in the future.
An investigation by the Weber-Morgan Health Department concluded that four people had been sickened by iceburg lettuce served by the Wendy’s of North Ogden, Utah the last four days of June. Three of these four people developed HUS from their infections. More than 300 people were thought to have been exposed to the contaminated lettuce at the June 30 luncheon.
Marler Clark represented Megan and the other victims of the outbreak, including another woman and a family with a child who also developed HUS. All of their claims were successfully resolved. To read more about the 2006 Wendy's E. coli outbreak and lawsuits visit the Marler Clark Website.
