Ron Simon and Associates Files E. coli Lawsuit Against Grimmway Farms of California

LOS ANGELES — The national food poisoning law firm of Ron Simon & Associates, along with The Gomez Trial Attorneys, filed a lawsuit against Grimmway Farms in Kern County, Calif., following a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O121:H19 infections linked to the company’s organic whole and baby carrots.

A copy of the lawsuit is available upon request.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Melinda Pratt, who purchased Bunny Luv Fresh Organic Carrots on Sept. 30, consumed them thereafter, and eventually began to suffer from bloody diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.  She waited for her symptoms to resolve, but after two weeks could no longer endure the symptoms, which had grown worse.             

Due to her condition, she sought medical treatment at her local hospital on Oct. 21, where she was admitted and remained for three days.

Shortly thereafter, she was notified that she had tested positive for Shiga toxin producing E. coli. She was then contacted and questioned by the health department, which confirmed she had eaten Grimmway Farms' carrots prior to her illness onset.

The E. coli lawsuit comes on the heels of a nationwide investigation into the outbreak of E. coli O121:H9 infections linked to whole carrots and baby organic carrots from Grimmway Farms. To date, there have been 39 confirmed cases of illness across 18 states, with 15 requiring hospitalization and one reported death. Additional cases are still being counted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Shiga toxin-producing E. coli can be severely dangerous to humans,” said lawyer Ron Simon. “Any consumer still in possession of any of these carrots should dispose of them immediately and contact their doctor if experiencing symptoms of E. coli infection. Through this and other lawsuits, we are going to make sure that all of the victims are fairly and fully compensated for their injuries and that Grimmway Farms takes steps to prevent this from ever happening again."

Simon and his law firm have established a Grimmway Farms E. Coli Claim Center to assist victims in the outbreak. The center can be reached toll-free at 1-888-335-4901 or at https://www.ronsimonassociates.com/.