Marler Clark E. coli Law Firm Calls on North Carolina to Pay Victims? Medical Costs

Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) November 03, 2011

The attorneys of Marler Clark, the nation?s leading law firm dedicated to representing victims of E. coli outbreaks, are calling on the State of North Carolina to pay medical expenses incurred by victims of a recent E. coli outbreak possibly linked to the North Carolina State Fair.

In October, the North Carolina Division of Public Health (NCDPH) announced an investigation into an abnormal number of E. coli illnesses with links to the North Carolina State Fair. According to Public Health officials, the department has confirmed at least nine E. coli O157:H7 illnesses and is investigating another 18 potential cases. Officials say that in 23 of the 27 total illnesses under investigation, victims reported attending the fair.

?E. coli is not just a tummy ache. Victims may develop a number of issues and incur significant healthcare costs associated with things like hospitalizations and treatment,? said Marler Clark attorney and food safety expert William Marler. ?I believe the State of North Carolina ought to move in a proactive manner to take care of its citizens by covering these expenses.?

This is the third time in seven years that the North Carolina State Fair has been linked to an E. coli outbreak. In 2004, officials with the NCDPH linked a petting zoo operating at the fair to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened as many as 108 people. In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that as many as five people became ill with E. coli illnesses after eating at the fair.

E. coli O157:H7 is the strain of E. coli most commonly associated with outbreaks. An E. coli infection typically occurs 1-10 days after exposure to contaminated food, beverages, water, animals, or other persons. Symptoms often include bloody diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fever. In severe cases victims develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which may result in kidney failure.

MARLER CLARK is the nation?s leading law firm dedicated to representing victims of E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and other pathogenic bacteria outbreaks. The firm?s E. coli lawyers have unmatched experience and have recovered over $ 600,000,000 for clients. For more information, or to speak with an attorney contact Cody Moore at cmoore(at)marlerclark(dot)com or 206-407-2200.

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