According to a complaint, Mary Kozlowski ate romaine lettuce at a Schnucks salad bar three times in October. By October 21, she began experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms indicative of an E. coli infection. Ms Kozlowski was admitted to Mercy Hospital on October 27.
Her condition continued to deteriorate and she developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of an E. coli infection that caused her kidneys to fail. Ms Kozlowski was also treated for anaemia, an irregular heartbeat, severe fluid retention, and a pulmonary embolism.
Ms Kozlowski was released from the hospital on November 7, however, the complaint alleges that she still suffers ongoing symptoms related to her illness and has sustained permanent damage to her kidneys.
Kozlowski’s attorney William Marler, said: “My client has endured a great deal of terror, pain, and suffering. When you purchase food, you believe it may do a number of things – provide nourishment, taste good, or even just fill you up. What you don’t intend is for that food to endanger your life.”
Ms Kozlowski’s illness is one of at least 60 E. coli illnesses associated with what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is calling a 10-state E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce used in salad bars in various Schnucks stores.
According to a CDC report published December 7, the romaine lettuce came from a single source, though neither Schnucks nor the CDC has released its name. The romaine lettuce was also served at universities in Minnesota and Missouri.
Source: Marler Clark
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