An Arlington, Virginia, woman recently filed a lawsuit after being stricken with salmonella after eating at The Fig & Olive restaurant in Washington, D.C. According to D.C. health officials, at least ten others contracted salmonella, more than 60 were made sick, and a total of 150 other possible cases are being investigated.
The salmonella outbreak is believed to be tied to two items on the menu containing mushrooms and not to the recent nationwide salmonella outbreak caused by cucumbers imported from Mexico. The New York-headquartered restaurant chain reopened its D.C. location earlier this month after complying with investigations by the D.C. Department of Health.
The plaintiff’s claim was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., and does list specific damages sought. While The Cochran Firm, D.C. does not represent the plaintiff in this case, our firm frequently handles cases involving negligence and personal injury.
In another salmonella-related case making headlines, a former executive of a peanut processing company was sentenced to 28 years in jail for knowingly distributing salmonella-contaminated products, leading to the deaths of nine individuals. Stewart Parnell was sentenced earlier this week along with his brother and a quality-control manager for their actions which directly led to hundreds contracting salmonella from peanuts processed at their company’s facility.
Parnell, his brother, and the quality control manager were found guilty of forging lab tests showing peanut butter produced at their Georgia-based facility did not contain salmonella. Parnell was convicted of 71 criminal counts in 2014. The charges included conspiracy, fraud, and obstruction of justice. Parnell faced a maximum sentence of over 800 years in prison.
Even though The Cochran Firm, D.C., was not involved with the case of Parnell’s intentional distribution of tainted food, our firm is committed to fighting for the rights of ordinary people hurt by malicious corporations and their executives. If you or a loved one were hurt by a powerful entity like a corporation or municipal government, contact our firm to learn about your legal rights. If you work for a company that knowingly falsifies lab tests, you may also be eligible to file a whistleblower claim.