Anapol Schwartz Representing 19 Year-Old Who Contracted E. Coli After Eating At Taco Bell

Philadelphia, PA (PRWeb) December 22, 2006 --
Anapol, Schwartz, Weiss, Cohan, Feldman and Smalley, P.C. announced today that it has been retained to pursue a claim against Taco Bell. Anapol Schwartz is investigating numerous cases and is prepared to file lawsuits in the upcoming weeks.

A few days after eating at a Taco Bell in Philadelphia, 19 year-old Elliot Weiford of Wynnewood, PA went to the emergency room at Lankenau Hospital where he was admitted with severe abdominal cramping, diarrhea and vomiting. E. Coli was confirmed through blood and culture testing. This is believed to be the first reported case of E. Coli poisoning at a Taco Bell in Philadelphia. "The food industry must be held to a high standard-- dining consumers are entitled to healthy and safe food" asserted Larry Cohan, Esq., attorney for Weiford.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that E. Coli outbreaks have been linked to eating at Taco Bell restaurants in the Northeastern United States. As of December 19, 2006 the CDC reports that 71 people have contracted E. Coli after eating at a Taco Bell restaurant. These victims are suffering from E. Coli 0157:H7, one of the hundreds of strains of bacteria and the leading cause of food born illnesses in the United States. This strain of E. Coli produces a powerful toxin that can cause severe illnesses such as bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal cramps and kidney failure. According to the CDC these symptoms usually clear up within 1 week to 10 days.

In some people, particularly the children and the elderly, or people with weak immune systems, E. Coli can cause Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which can lead to kidney failure.

The CDC has reported that (53) of those who got sick were hospitalized and (8) developed HUS. The CDC has collected information on Taco Bell restaurants and their food distribution and preparation characteristics. The evaluation of all of the data suggests that shredded lettuce consumed at Taco Bell restaurants in the Northeastern United States was likely the source of the outbreak. US health officials said that lettuce became the focus of the investigation after a statistical analysis of what people had eaten before they fell ill. Lettuce is an ingredient used in about 70 percent of Taco Bell's product. Many also ate cheddar cheese and beef and those supply chains are also being investigated officials said.

People injured from Taco Bell E. Coli should contact Anapol Schwartz by calling Miriam Benton Barish at 215-790-4571 or emailing mbarish-at-anapolschwartz.com.

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