A customer of McDonald’s filed a lawsuit against the fast-food chain on Wednesday, citing a recent E. coli outbreak associated with the Quarter Pounder. This outbreak has reportedly caused at least one death and numerous illnesses across the United States in recent weeks.

Eric Stelly, who submitted the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois, consumed a meal from a McDonald’s in Greeley, Colorado, three weeks prior and began to show symptoms like nausea, stomach cramps, and bloody diarrhea — which is a common indicator of E. coli infection, according to his attorney Ron Simon from Houston.

The lawsuit, consisting of 10 pages, charges McDonald’s with negligence and product liability among other claims related to the illnesses.

This legal action follows a day after the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a food safety alert tied to the outbreak and initiated an investigation in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

In a statement to YSL News on Thursday, Stelly expressed his long-standing loyalty to McDonald’s.

“I never anticipated suffering like this from consuming a burger,” Stelly remarked. “I hope this lawsuit will bring awareness to what occurred, prompting McDonald’s to address and rectify these issues to avert them in the future.”

YSL News has contacted McDonald’s for commentary on the lawsuit.

Quarter Pounders pulled from select locations

In response to the E. coli concerns, McDonald’s has removed the Quarter Pounder from about 20% of its restaurants. Nonetheless, the chain reassured customers that it is still safe to dine at their establishments nationwide.

Investigators are focusing on the slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounders as the most likely source of contamination, rather than the beef patties, but are still working to confirm the exact tainted ingredient.

The onions served on the Quarter Pounders are sourced from a single supplier in the problematic areas, according to statements from the company during a briefing on Wednesday.

McDonald’s noted that the beef used in the affected sandwiches comes from various suppliers, making it unlikely to be the source of the outbreak. The FSIS has yet to conclude its investigation regarding the beef, so there remains no definitive answer from the company.

“Following the recent events, our goal is to reinforce consumer confidence in our brand,” said Joe Erlinger, President of McDonald’s USA, during an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show.

What is E. coli?

The CDC explains that E. coli (Escherichia coli) are bacteria found in various places such as the environment, food, and the intestines of both humans and animals.

While the majority of E. coli strains are harmless, certain strains can lead to serious health issues including diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory problems, or pneumonia, according to the CDC.

Which states are affected by the E. coli outbreak?

According to the CDC, 49 individuals became sick with E. coli infections in 10 states between September 27 and October 11. Many have reportedly consumed Quarter Pounder hamburgers from McDonald’s. One person from Colorado has died, and 10 individuals were hospitalized due to the outbreak.

• Colorado (26 cases)
• Iowa (1)
• Kansas (1)
• Missouri (1)
• Montana (1)
• Nebraska (9)
• Oregon (1)
• Utah (4)
• Wisconsin (1)
• Wyoming (4)

In light of the outbreak, McDonald’s has stopped selling the Quarter Pounder in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as in parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

“We anticipate that many more cases will be reported,” the additional attorneys representing Stelly, including those from the personal injury firm Meyers & Flowers in Chicago, warned in the lawsuit.

McDonald’s global headquarters is situated in Chicago.

‘McDonald’s has broken that trust’

The lawsuit is requesting a jury trial and is seeking damages exceeding $50,000.

“Through this lawsuit and others, we aim to ensure that McDonald’s and its suppliers are held accountable for this unfortunate event,” Simon, representing more than a dozen other victims affected, commented to YSL News on Thursday. “The American consumers’ trust has been compromised.”

Consumers deserve to have confidence that the food they are served is free from contamination. McDonald’s has violated that confidence and will need to work hard to regain it.