Nicolaus Brayton – The 2000 Karl Ehmer Meats E. coli Outbreak
In July 2000, the New Jersey Health Department (NJOH) began investigating an illness of a 20-month-old boy who tested positive for E. coli O157. The NJOH found that the boy had eaten a hamburger a week before falling ill.
The NJOH partnered with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to test the meat. They found that it was contaminated with E. coli and determined that it had been supplied by Karl Ehmer Meats.
Nicolaus Brayton was the name of the sick boy. Nicolaus was taken to the hospital where he continued to deteriorate, requiring multiple platelet transfusions and suffering renal failure as a result of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). CAT scans revealed that he had suffered intra-cranial bleeding and cerebral swelling. Nicolaus passed away on August 1, 2000, two weeks after eating the contaminated hamburger.
Marler Clark represented the family of Nicolaus Brayton in a wrongful death claim against Karl Ehmer. The claim was settled in 2003. You can read more about E. coli lawsuits and litigation that stemmed from the Karl Ehmer meats E. coli outbreak on the Marler Clark Website.
