E. Coli Lawyer

Escherichia coli, or E. coli, causes 73,000 illnesses each year in the United States. The bacteria can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), characterized by hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal injury. It is classified as an “important and threatening pathogen” with mandatory reporting of E. coli infections to public health authorities in 48 states.

Food is the primary means of E. coli transmission, causing an estimated 61% of outbreaks. Most E. coli outbreaks occur in communities, schools, and restaurants or food facilities. When an outbreak occurs, supply chain tracing becomes critical to identify and prove the source of the infection and take appropriate legal action.

The Lange Law Firm provides the legal support you need when you are a victim. Our firm is nationally recognized as being the firm to turn to in order to pursue justice after a foodborne illness, and we have decades of experience identifying exposure sources, proving causation, and getting full and fair compensation for injured victims.

Give us a call or contact us online today to schedule your free consultation and find out how an E. coli poisoning lawyer at The Lange Law Firm can help.

Why Choose The Lange Law Firm PLLC For Your E. Coli Poisoning Case?

Foodborne illness cases differ in important ways from traditional injury claims. While contaminated food is inherently considered to be a dangerous product, the challenge in most E. coli cases is identifying the source of the contamination and demonstrating causation. The Lange Law Firm excels in these technical cases and is the place to turn because:

• Our firm focuses exclusively on foodborne illness. We don’t just handle the occasional foodborne illness case. Jory Lange built the firm around these tragedies, developing processes and protocols for conducting investigations and monitoring outbreaks. We provide updated news on foodborne illness, understand source tracing, monitor public health investigations, have a strong bench of expert witnesses, and understand the science behind foodborne illness exposure.
• Our firm is the firm other attorneys turn to. Jory Lange has represented clients in foodborne illness claims for over 20 years. When other attorneys need to refer cases that go beyond their scope, they turn to The Lange Law Firm. We’ve represented clients nationwide in E. coli poisoning cases because so many firms and clients place their trust in our team.
• We offer more than just technical knowledge — personalized service is central to what we do. Jory Lange has a deep understanding of how to present technical scientific evidence in understandable ways. But we’re more than just skilled litigators recognized by the National Trial Lawyers Association, Super Lawyers, and the National Trial Lawyers Top 100. We are also your advocates, and we are committed to providing the support you need as you cope with serious illness or the loss of a loved one due to E. coli infection.

We don’t charge legal fees unless we win, and we offer a free consultation, so call us any time to talk with us about how we can bring decades of experience in foodborne illness claims to your case.

Our Victories

• $3.3 Million: E. coli Food Poisoning / HUS settlement – For two children who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (“HUS”) in an E. coli outbreak.
• $1 Million: For a child who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (“HUS”) in an E. coli outbreak.
• $1 Million: For a child who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (“HUS”) in an E. coli outbreak and was hospitalized for 6 days.

When Should I Contact an E. Coli Lawyer?

You should contact an E. coli lawyer when you need help taking legal action to hold companies accountable for making you or your loved one sick. Here are a few situations when it’s critical to get help from an attorney with experience handling foodborne illness claims.

You Develop Complications From E. coli

E. coli can often live in your gut without causing harm. But, certain strains of E. coli, most notably Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), can cause severe illness.

Routine symptoms of E. coli include watery diarrhea, vomiting, and a fever. Some mild infections can last five to 10 days and be managed at home. However, even a routine infection can necessitate hospitalization for IV hydration, especially in children.

Unfortunately, as the Cleveland Clinic explains, E. coli can also cause serious health complications including:

• Bloodstream infections.
• Prostatitis (prostate infection).
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
• Gallbladder infection (cholecystitis).
• Wound infections.
• Pneumonia
• Meningitis
• Sepsis
• Neurological damage
• Chronic kidney damage
• Long-term hypertension

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can also result. This condition can cause clots to form throughout the small blood vessels in your body and lead to organ damage, including kidney failure, which can be fatal.

When you experience any complications that require hospitalization, you should get legal help because the stakes are high. But it’s especially important to speak with an attorney when you experience life-changing complications like meningitis, sepsis, or kidney failure.

These health issues can result in costly medical bills, ongoing impairment in your ability to work, significant pain and suffering, and sometimes death. You deserve full and fair compensation and need legal help to prove causation and to demonstrate the extent of harm.

Multiple Parties are Liable

The USDA reports that companies that produce, process, distribute, and sell contaminated food could potentially all be liable for resulting damages. In some cases, individual retail store or restaurant operators can also be held legally responsible.  Different parties can be held liable on different grounds, such as strict liability and negligence claims.

Uncovering all of the different companies along the supply chain can be a complicated process that involves reviewing packaging labels, conducting traceback investigations, coordinating with public health authorities, and extensive testing such as whole-genome sequencing and DNA fingerprinting to isolate the source of the bacteria.

The Lange Law Firm knows the science and the law and will take the necessary steps to identify all defendants and prove they should compensate you for damages.

Liability is Disputed

If the party responsible for your infection denies liability, contact an attorney. They can help you preserve vital evidence and ensure an in-depth investigation is completed so that liability falls on the appropriate parties. They can also help you determine if other people became ill from the same product. If so, your case will be much easier to prove.

Your Claim Gets Denied

If you decide to file an E. coli claim, on your own, but the at-fault party’s insurer denies it, consult an attorney as soon as possible. Insurance adjusters are known for using tactics to devalue or deny valid claims. An E. coli lawyer will look over your case and advise you on the best course of action. It is important to note that you are not required to talk to an at-fault party’s insurance company and should never make a recorded statement without first consulting an attorney.

Consultations are typically free, and they will evaluate your case then advise you on your legal options and whether it is worth pursuing a claim. There is no risk to you when contacting an E. coli lawyer, but if you wait too long, critical evidence that you need to support your case can begin to disappear.

The Statute of Limitations

Another reason to hire a lawyer as soon as possible is that you may miss out on your window to recover compensation at all. Each state has a statute of limitations, which is a law that limits the amount of time you have to file an E. coli lawsuit. For example, in Texas, E. coli victims have only two years to take legal action. Depending on the state where you reside, that time limit may be longer or shorter, so it is best to get in contact with an attorney quickly.

What Steps Should I Take If I Get Sick From E. Coli?

If you get sick from E. coli, there are a few key steps you should take to protect your health and to protect your legal claim. You should:

• Keep all leftover food and food packaging. Details such as lot numbers can help to identify the source of the infection, as can lab testing of leftover food that can identify the particular genetic fingerprint of the E. coli strain to help trace it back to its source. Refrigerate or freeze the leftover items to preserve this key evidence.
• Make a list of all of the foods you have consumed recently. This can help pinpoint where you were exposed to the bacteria if you aren’t certain what made you sick.
• Get prompt medical help. Your doctor can perform E. coli testing using a stool sample, blood culture, and laboratory analysis. You can get the necessary treatment for E. Coli poisoning, including IV fluids if necessary, and your care provider will report the E. coli infection to appropriate public health authorities, as Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is reportable.
• Identify others who became sick. If there are others in your family, friend group, or local area who became sick, it’s important to identify other victims to find the common thread and determine where exposure occurred. The group of individuals who were sickened can also pursue joint legal action in the form of a class action in some cases to obtain compensation.
• Retain copies of all medical bills and other losses. Keep copies of the medical bills you incurred, and keep a detailed record of the work you missed as well as the pain you endured.

The goal here is to minimize the risk of E. coli developing into a serious and life-threatening condition, as well as to gather and preserve evidence showing the E. coli made you sick so you can demonstrate the extent of your losses. You should be compensated for all this harm. You just have to prove the damages.

The Lange Law Firm can support you through this process, interfacing with public health officials, subpoenaing lab records, and spearheading the source tracing investigation.

Who May Be Held Liable For My E. Coli Poisoning?

Often, multiple parties can be held liable for an E. coli outbreak, including:

• Food producers or food manufacturers including growers, harvesters, ranches, livestock facilities, and seed and feed suppliers. For example, Taylor Farms was linked to a large-scale E. coli outbreak in 2014 after it delivered contaminated fresh, slivered yellow onions supplied to McDonald’s.

• Food processing and packaging companies that wash, chop, process, mix, or package food products. One example is General Mills, which was found to be responsible for an E. coli infection related to flour.

• Slaughterhouses and meat packers, who can be held liable if an animal’s intestinal contents contaminate the meat during processing.  In one instance, CS Beef Packers had to recall ground beef contaminated with E. coli.

• Wholesalers and distributors who deliver contaminated food to retailers. The wholesaler U.S. Foods contributed to causing the E. coli outbreak from the Taylor Farms onion incident.

• Retailers and restaurants, including grocery stores, fast food chains, local restaurants, and caterers and event venues. While there have been numerous examples, one recent incident involved Taco Bell lettuce.

What Compensation Can I Recover?

When you are made sick as a result of E. coli, you have the right to full and fair compensation. This includes payment for all of your economic losses, as well as for non-financial losses (which can be harder to measure).

It is up to you to prove the E. coli was the direct cause of the loss in order to be fully compensated.

Here are some of the different kinds of compensation you may be entitled to.

Past and Future Medical Bills

You should be paid for all medical care you have already received, as well as all medical care that you will need, as a result of E. coli infection. Specifically, you may be compensated for things like:

• Lab testing including stool cultures and other diagnostic testing
• Medications (although both antibiotics and antidiarrheal medications are contraindicated, as they can make the infection last longer and increase the risk of HUS
• Hospitalization if necessary for IV fluids or for the treatment of severe complications
• Treatment from specialists such as a nephrologist who treats kidney damage
• Dialysis if necessary due to the development of HUS

If you develop kidney failure or other lasting damage due to complications, you may need ongoing care sometimes for the rest of your life.

Economic Losses

E. coli can take days to clear your system, causing severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. If you miss work while recovering or due to hospitalization, you should be compensated for the wages you weren’t able to earn.

In some cases, you will experience long-term complications including HUS or kidney failure. This can lead to lifelong impairment that affects your ability to work due to new functional limitations. You should be paid for all the wages you will not earn due to your illness.

Pain and Suffering

E. coli can result in persistent, and sometimes bloody, diarrhea; severe stomach cramps; vomiting; abdominal pain; extreme fatigue; nausea; and dehydration. These are just the routine symptoms. They can be very painful and linger for weeks.

If you develop complications like HUS, you may have additional pain and suffering damages as a result of the need for extensive medical procedures, including dialysis in some cases.  You should be paid for all the pain you endure for the duration of the time you are affected.

Emotional Distress

Embarrassment, anxiety, depression, and fear of the future can result from an E. coli infection, especially if it causes complications. You should be paid for all of the mental damage you experience because of your condition.

Wrongful Death Damages

E. coli infections can be fatal, especially when young children are made sick. If a loved one is killed as a result of infection, you should be entitled to wrongful death damages including for things like lost companionship, medical expenses before death, funeral costs, loss of financial support, and emotional suffering resulting from the loss.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are appropriate in limited circumstances to punish defendants when they act with a level of recklessness that goes beyond ordinary negligence. Examples include:

• A food processor that receives positive E. coli test results but continues shipping products to stores instead of issuing a recall
• A manufacturer ignoring repeated contamination warnings

These damages can be substantial when plaintiffs demonstrate that a company showed a reckless disregard for health and safety.

How Much Does an E. Coli Lawyer Charge?

Our E. coli lawyers accept cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not have to pay an upfront lump sum. Additionally, we do not make you pay in advance for any case-related expenses. Our attorneys will cover the costs associated with preparing, filing, and prosecuting your claim and will only get paid if you do. Legal fees are dependent on how much you are awarded in a settlement or award. If you do not recover compensation, you will not owe anything besides court costs. This is an ideal scenario for our clients because there is no risk to you; you don’t have to worry about paying legal bills while the case is ongoing.

Client Testimonial

“The knowledge, experience, and compassion of Lange Law firm made an incredibly difficult situation much easier to navigate.”

Janet Charon

Google Review

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS): A Serious Complication of E. Coli

Around 5% to 10% of people exposed to specific E. coli variants, including Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Young children are the most likely to be impacted.

HUS develops when the E. coli bacteria release Shiga toxins that enter the bloodstream and damage the lining of tiny blood vessels.

These toxins destroy red blood cells, reduce platelets, and cause small blood clots to form inside the blood vessels. Blood flow to the kidneys is often interrupted, which can permanently damage the kidneys and lead to kidney failure. HUS E. coli symptoms include:

• Anemia
• Extreme paleness
• Extreme fatigue or weakness
• Irritability
• Unexplained bruising
• Edema (swelling) in the feet, legs, or face
• Confusion
• Seizures
• Neurological changes

Supportive care is necessary in a hospital setting when these complications begin to develop.  Patients may require IV fluids and continuous blood pressure monitoring. Around 50% of patients also require temporary kidney dialysis, and patients may require blood or platelet transfusion.

Unfortunately, while many victims recover completely, some experience chronic kidney disease or long-term neurological impairments. Organ failure, strokes, and seizures are also a significant risk of HUS and can have lifelong or fatal consequences.

$1 Million recovered for a child who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (“HUS”) in an E. Coli outbreak.

Recent Outbreaks /Recalls

Below is a list of selected multistate E. coli outbreak investigations provided by the CDC. These CDC-investigated outbreaks usually result in hundreds of reported illnesses and multistate E. coli recalls. However, most E. coli cases actually are on a much smaller scale and are often limited to a single state or community. In fact, these small outbreaks involve contaminated food from local restaurants, grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and more.

While the smaller outbreaks do not receive national news coverage or get investigated by the CDC, they are still impactful, and victims may have valid claims against those responsible. A recent E. coli outbreak that The Lange Law Firm filed a case for, was in St. Louis, MO, in November 2024. Scheduling a free consultation with The Lange Law Firm, PLLC can help you determine whether you have a case or not.

Further analysis of CDC outbreak data reveals more insight into E. Coli outbreaks.

From 2009-2023, the CDC collected data on 1,205 outbreaks of Escherichia coli (E. Coli), leading to 2,548 hospitalizations and 48 deaths.

Of those incidents, most cases were transmitted by food (514 cases), followed by person-to-person (292), animal contact (89), water (51), then environmental contamination (12).  There were 247 cases where the mode of contamination was unknown.

The most common exposure settings (where only one setting was listed) include:

1. Child daycare – 221 cases
2. Private home/residence – 220 cases
3. Restaurant – Sit-down dining – 130 cases
4. Festival/fair – 54 cases
5. Restaurant – “Fast-food”(drive-up service or pay at counter) –  52 cases
6. School/college/university – 41 cases
7. Long-term care/nursing home/assisted living facility – 36 cases
8. Farm/dairy/agricultural setting – 32 cases
9. Petting zoo – 25 cases
10. Residence – Single family home – 25 cases

Where do E. Coli Outbreaks Occur Most Often?

More outbreaks occur across several states than in any one state, with 154 outbreaks affecting multiple states. However, when an outbreak was contained to one state, Minnesota had 45 more outbreaks than then next closest state, Ohio – 56 percent more outbreaks than the second-place state.

1. Minnesota – 125
2. Ohio – 80
3. Texas – 57
4. Wisconsin – 56
5. Pennsylvania – 50
6. Tennessee – 43
7. Idaho – 40
8. Oregon – 40
9. Washington – 37
10. Colorado – 35
11. Virginia – 31
12. Missouri – 30
13. Alabama – 29
14. South Carolina – 26
15. Illinois – 25
16. Iowa – 25
17. Kansas – 25
18. California – 22
19. Utah – 22
20. Michigan – 20
21. Kentucky – 19
22. Massachusetts – 19
23. New York – 19
24. Georgia – 15
25. Indiana – 13
26. Maryland – 13

Contact an Experienced E. Coli Lawyer

When you are harmed due to contaminated food or a petting zoo, you can find yourself up against large corporations and insurance companies with deep pockets. We are not afraid and have consistently taken on large companies successfully to recover millions in compensation for our clients. We can help you hold the liable parties accountable for your losses, such as medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and more.

E. Coli cases fall under product liability, which can be very complex, and you may have additional questions as your case progresses. Our E. Coli lawyers will ease your mind by offering trusted legal guidance, addressing any questions you might have, and remaining in constant contact to keep you updated on your claim. Call (833) 330-3663 or send us a message online today to arrange a free consultation.