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First lawsuit filed against McDonald's over its E. coli outbreak

The first E. coli-related lawsuit against McDonald鈥檚 has been filed. (Mario Tama / Getty Images via CNN Newsource) The first E. coli-related lawsuit against McDonald鈥檚 has been filed. (Mario Tama / Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
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A Colorado man has filed the first lawsuit against McDonald鈥檚 relating to its E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounders that, so far, has led to at least 49 illnesses across 10 states, including one death.

The lawsuit was filed one day after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a  warning that dozens of people reported eating the Quarter Pounder sandwich at McDonald鈥檚 before becoming sick.

Eric Stelly purchased food from a McDonald鈥檚 location in Greeley, Colorado three weeks ago and began experiencing several gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, cramps and bloody stools, which his lawyer notes is the most 鈥渃ommon symptom鈥 of E. coli, according to a from Ron Simon, the lawyer for the plaintiff.

After a few days later of continuing pain, he went to the emergency room of a local hospital and tested positive for E. coli. Stelly is still recovering from the sickness, the release says.

The lawsuit, a copy of which was posted online by Bloomberg Law, accuses McDonald鈥檚 of product liability, negligence and breach of implied warranties. It was filed Wednesday in a Cook County, Illinois court, where Chicago-based McDonald鈥檚 is headquartered.

A specific ingredient has not been confirmed as the source of the outbreak, but the U.S.Food and Drug Administration  that the slivered onions or beef patties on Quarter Pounder sandwiches are the likely source of contamination.

McDonald鈥檚 didn鈥檛 immediately respond to CNN鈥檚 request for comment about the lawsuit.

On Wednesday, McDonald鈥檚 USA President that it鈥檚 safe to eat at McDonald鈥檚 and that affected ingredients are probably out of the supply chain at restaurants.

鈥淲e are very confident that you can go to McDonald鈥檚 and enjoy our classics鈥 without getting sick, he said.

鈥淚f there has been contaminated product within our supply chain, it鈥檚 very likely worked itself through that supply chain already,鈥 but he acknowledged that the number of illnesses reported may rise as the CDC investigates and traces cases.

鈥淪erving customers safely in every single restaurant, each and every day, is our top priority,鈥 McDonald鈥檚 said in a statement Tuesday.

Simon, which describes his office as a national food safety law firm, is also representing at least 10 other 鈥渧ictims in the outbreak鈥 in addition to Stelly, according to the release.

鈥淭he McDonald鈥檚 E. coli Outbreak will be one of the most significant food poisoning outbreaks this year,鈥 Simon said in a press release. 鈥淭hrough this lawsuit and others, we will make sure that all of the victims are fully compensated for their losses, that their voices are heard, and that McDonald鈥檚 and its suppliers permanently fix the health violations that caused the food to become contaminated with E. coli.鈥

Quarter Pounder problems

McDonald鈥檚 has taken Quarter Pounders off the menu in about a fifth of its stores. The company has stopped using the onions as well as quarter-pound beef patties in several states, including Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The investigation continues, the CDC said.

The beef patties are used only for the Quarter Pounders, and the slivered onions are used primarily for the Quarter Pounder and not other items, according to the CDC. Diced onions and other types of beef patties used at McDonald鈥檚 have not been implicated in this outbreak, the FDA said.

McDonald鈥檚 supplier Taylor Farms Colorado says it is working closely with the FDA and CDC. It says it has removed yellow onions from the market 鈥渙ut of an abundance of caution,鈥 the company said Wednesday.

A Taylor Farms spokesperson said it has found no traces of E. coli in tests of raw or finished onions. 鈥淲e have never seen E. coliO157:H7 associated with onions in the past,鈥 the statement said.

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