Three people in Massachusetts have been hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a form of kidney failure that can lead to stroke, heart attack, pancreatitits and other serious health problems. All three of these cases of HUS were caused by the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. This means that the 3 HUS victims first contracted E. coli O157 infections, most likely from contaminated food, and then developed HUS, according to Fred Pritzker, a nationally known E. coli lawyer.
“Rumors have been circulating that the cause of the illnesses has been linked to a local supermarket. At this point, no local supermarkets are a focus of the investigation,” according to the Wellesley Health Department (WDH). If a grocery store is involved in the outbreak, the E. coli-HUS victims and their families may have legal claims against the grocery store and others, according to Pritzker.
Some of the grocery stores in Wellesley include the following: Roche Bros, Fells Market, Donelan’s Supermarket, Whole Foods Market, Wasik’s, Star Market, IGA, Stop and Shop and Walmart (a retailer who sells food). There is not any reported evidence to date that any of these stores are connected to the outbreak.
Attorney Fred Pritzker and his Bad Bug Law Team represent E. coli and HUS victims and their families nationwide in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits against food processors, retailers, restaurants and others. He recently won a $4.5 million lawsuit settlement for a woman who contracted E. coli-HUS from food served at a restaurant and several E. coli cases (including some that developed into HUS) against a large retailer.
