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Taco Bell Food Poisoning Lawsuit Attorney

Our lawyers are investigating potential lawsuits for people who were diagnosed with a food poisoning illness — salmonella, E. coli, listeria, etc. — after eating at Taco Bell.
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C.L. Mike Schmidt Published by C.L. Mike Schmidt
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If you or a loved one got sick after eating at Taco Bell, you should contact our law firm immediately.

You may be entitled to compensation by filing a Taco Bell lawsuit and we can help. Please click the button below for a Free Confidential Case Evaluation or call us toll-free 24 hrs/day by dialing (866) 588-0600.

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Update: Taco Bell Recalls Beef from Restaurants in 3 States Over Quality Concerns

October 14, 2019 – Taco Bell has issued a recall for seasoned beef over quality concerns at restaurants in Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky, according to FOX 8 Cleveland [1]. A spokesperson for the company said the recalled beef did not meet quality standards. It is still unclear how many locations are affected by the recall, as officials have not announced which stores have pulled the seasoned meat.

Taco Bell Salmonella Outbreak 2011

Taco Bell was identified as the source of a salmonella outbreak that sickened nearly 70 people in Texas and 9 other states in 2011. Previously, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had only referred to the source of potential contamination as ‘Restaurant Chain A.’ Making matters worse, the outbreak came just a year after another cluster of salmonella infections were linked to Taco Bell restaurants.

The source of contamination was revealed by the Oklahoma State Department of Health. In response to the question of why the CDC refused to release the information earlier, a spokesperson for the department said that naming the eateries tied to the outbreak would not have had any public health benefit.

“By the time we posted information about this outbreak, it was over,” the spokesperson told ABC News. “If it was over, there would have been no public need to disclose it.”

Taco Bell replied by stressing its commitment to the safety and quality of its products but also stated that the CDC failed to identify the chain as the source of the outbreak. Instead, the agency “indicated that some people who were ill ate at Taco Bell, while others did not.”

Most of the salmonella infections (43) occurred in Texas, while other cases were reported in Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, and Tennessee.

Taco Bell has been linked to at least 2 other recent major food poisoning outbreaks in recent years. In 2006, contaminated lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in the Northeast was found to be the main source of a dangerous E. coli outbreak that sickened 71 people. In 2010, Taco Bell was found to be the cause of a salmonella outbreak that sickened 155 people in 21 states.

First Lawsuit Filed in Taco Bell Salmonella Outbreak

August 11, 2010 – The first lawsuit filed in a pair of salmonella outbreaks that sickened at least 155 people in 21 states was filed against Yum! Brands (the parent company of Taco Bell) in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Franklin County Circuit Court.

The plaintiff in the first case is Jo Ann Smith, who filed her claim in Franklin County Circuit Court in Kentucky. Smith claims she bought food from a Taco Bell in Frankfort, Kentucky, on May 24, 2010, and woke up ill on May 26. Over the next several days, Smith’s condition worsened until she required emergency hospitalization for symptoms of salmonella infection.

The outbreak is believed to have started around April 30 and probably ended about July 19. CDC said at least 2 strains of salmonella were reported in people who ate at Taco Bell during that time period, but they have been unable to identify which products were contaminated.

Investigators were able to track the outbreak because the 2 strains, Salmonella Hartford and Salmonella Baildon, are rarely seen in the U.S.

Taco Bell Recall Timeline

2000 – Taco Bell Hepatitis A Outbreak – Florida
In December 2000, the Lake County Health Department in Florida learned of at least 7 hepatitis A cases, 5 of which required hospitalization, in Lake and Sumter Counties over a 2-week span. Health officials traced the cluster of illnesses to a Taco Bell restaurant in Fruitland Park, Florida.

2006 – Taco Bell E. coli Lettuce Outbreak – Northeastern U.S.
This outbreak was associated with at least 71 E. coli infections in people who reported eating at Taco Bell restaurants in the following 5 states: New Jersey (33), New York (22), Pennsylvania (13), Delaware (2), and South Carolina (1). CDC testing later revealed the source of the outbreak to be contaminated lettuce.

2010/2011 Taco Bell Salmonella Outbreak
More than 150 people from 15 states were diagnosed with salmonella food poisoning, or salmonellosis, marking the third Taco Bell outbreak in 10 years. illness onset dates were from April 30, 2010, to July 18, 2010.

Salmonella Symptoms

Most people infected with Salmonella develop symptoms including diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12–72 hours after infection, which is usually diagnosed by stool sample analysis. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, although more serious illnesses can develop, especially in the young, elderly, and immune-compromised. Anyone who is experiencing these symptoms should talk to their doctor.

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Have you or a loved one suffered food poisoning from consuming contaminated food or beverages?

Do I Have a Taco Bell Food Poisoning Lawsuit?

The Food Poisoning Litigation Group at Schmidt & Clark, LLP law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Taco Bell lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new injury and death cases in all 50 states.

Again, if you or a loved one got sick after eating at Taco Bell, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit and we can help.

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