Attorneys
File Five Lawsuits Against Arby's, Beavers, and Globe
in Salmonella Food Poisoning Outbreak Aftermath
Source of Article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/9/prweb1313194.htm
Attorneys Andrew Childers, Richard Schlueter,
and Eric H. Weinberg filed five separate lawsuits in the State Court of
Georgia, DeKalb County, on behalf of individuals who became seriously ill with
Salmonella serotype Montevideo food poisoning after consuming contaminated
sandwiches purchased at an Arby's Restaurant located on North Ashley Street, in
Valdosta, Georgia. All five of the plaintiffs' Salmonella infections were
incontrovertibly linked to the Arby's Salmonella outbreak that resulted in the
infection of 72 people in the fall of 2006.
Valdosta, GA (PRWEB) September 11, 2008
-- Five separate lawsuits were filed in the State Court of Georgia, DeKalb
County, on behalf of individuals who became seriously ill with Salmonella
serotype Montevideo food poisoning after consuming contaminated sandwiches
purchased at an Arby's Restaurant located on North Ashley Street, in Valdosta,
Georgia.
Attorneys Andrew Childers and Richard Schlueter of
the Atlanta, Georgia firm of Childers, Buck & Schlueter,
working with Attorney Eric H. Weinberg of New Brunswick, New Jersey, filed the
five lawsuits against Arby's Restaurants; Beavers', Inc., a franchisee which
operates several Arby's restaurants in Georgia and Florida; Globe Food
Equipment Company, makers of the food slicer used at the Valdosta Arby's
restaurants; and two additional defendants, a marketing firm and a food
supplier.
The personal injury lawsuits were brought on behalf of Addie Brunston and her father Robby Brunston
(case no. 08A93379-3), Phillis and Owen Lindsey (case
no. 08A93377-3), Karen Diane Powell (case no. 08A93378-3), Ronald and Patricia
Tucker (case no. 08A93380-3), and Lori Turner (case no.08A93381-3). All of the
plaintiffs contracted Salmonella food poisoning after eating at Arby's between
September and October of 2006.
"These companies had a responsibility to their customers to prevent foodborne pathogens in their food. The fact that they
continued to operate their restaurant and serve patrons after being notified of
a problem by the health authorities is shocking," said Mr. Weinberg. Mr.
Childers expressed concern that Arby's and Beavers' had acted improperly in the
face of a serious public health threat. "If the restaurant chain and the
franchise operator were unwilling to consider the health of patrons, then those
patrons had better look out for their own safety," he noted.
In January 2007, the same lawyers brought the first lawsuit against Arby's
on behalf of another woman who was seriously injured by the outbreak.
According to the Public Health Division of the Georgia Department of Human
Resources, in their report dated December 22, 2006, the outbreak caused by
Salmonella contamination at Arby's extended from August 21, 2006, through
November 16, 2006. Seventy-two people were infected, with 19 of the cases
resulting in hospitalization. All five of the plaintiffs' Salmonella infections
were incontrovertibly linked to the Arby's Salmonella outbreak.
Salmonella food poisoning results in a wide array of serious and potentially
fatal side effects, including dehydration, fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea,
weight loss, persistent weakness and fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and reactive
arthritis.
Young children and the elderly are most vulnerable to the complications of
Salmonella food poisoning. The victims of the Arby's outbreak ranged in age
from one year old to 67 years of age.
The Valdosta Arby's, which is owned and operated by Beavers', was found to
contain a meat slicer manufactured by Globe. A plastic piece on the blade cover
of the slicer was not properly sealed, and that allowed Salmonella bacteria to
remain on the equipment for more than two months.
The food handling policies and practices of the Beavers managed Arby's store
are being closely investigated and will be the subject of these lawsuits in the
months to come. Whether Beavers and Arby's had proper meat cooking and storage
policies in place to prevent food borne pathogens in their roast beef, is an
issue in the cases. Of interest is that another Arby's, in
Eventually, the Beavers managed Arby's restaurant in question was visited
several times by county health officials during the month of October, 2006.
Despite being informed that the restaurant was under investigation as a likely
source of the Salmonella outbreak that had overtaken Lowndes County, managers
and staff took no steps to warn customers of this fact. The dirty meat slicer
was ultimately removed from the Valdosta Arby's on October 25, 2006, after a
sample showed that it was contaminated with Salmonella.
"We certainly hope that Arby's and Beavers have learned something from
this outbreak. So many innocent people were injured unnecessarily when they put
their trust in these defendants to provide a clean and safe place to eat,"
Mr. Weinberg said.
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