A mother of three who was hospitalized with E.coli after eating carrots during a nationwide recall has filed a lawsuit against the product’s distributor.
Melinda Pratt, 40, a native of Savannah, Georgia, was rushed to the emergency department in October after experiencing bloody diarrhea, nausea and vomiting for two weeks.
She was kept in the hospital for three days while doctors treated her symptoms and tested her for E.coli. She tested positive.
Ms. Pratt believes she contracted the disease from Grimmway Farms’ Bunny-Luv Fresh Organic carrots, which she bought and ate at her local Sam’s Club in late September.
Grimmway Farms recalled nearly seven dozen varieties of carrot products last week after they tested positive for E.coli.
Now she is filing a lawsuit against the company. In lawsuits shared with DailyMail.com, Ms. Pratt accuses the company of negligence and failing to protect its customers.
Thousands of packages of carrots sold at major stores including Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Whole Foods and Target have been recalled, and at least 39 people have been sickened in 18 states.
Ms Pratt is one of 15 people hospitalized. One person has died.
Melinda Pratt, pictured above and from California, filed a lawsuit after she became ill after eating Bunny-Luv carrots. These were recently recalled due to E. coli contamination
The recall is just the latest to rock the US, after McDonald’s had to stop serving Quarter Pounders in 900 of its restaurants last month due to an E.coli outbreak.
That outbreak sickened at least 104 people and led to 34 hospitalizations and one death. At least two people have suffered serious kidney complications.
In addition, more than 150,000 bottles of water sold in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland were also recalled last week after they were found to contain E.coli.
Tests showed Ms Pratt was infected with a Shiga toxin-producing strain of E.coli, which can cause permanent kidney damage and death.
Mrs. Pratt told NBC News her stomach pain felt like “someone was stabbed in the stomach repeatedly and didn’t stop.”
‘At one point I really thought I was dying slowly.’
Now Ms. Pratt wants Grimmway Farms to pay her medical bills and compensate her for pain and suffering because she believes her experience “appears to be easily preventable.”
She told NBC that her bills total about $20,000 because she was treated at an out-of-network hospital.
Her lawyer Ron Simon said: “Through this and other lawsuits, we will ensure that all victims receive fair and full compensation for their injuries.
“And that Grimmway Farms is taking steps to prevent this from ever happening again.”
Although Ms. Pratt’s is the first lawsuit, Mr. Simon said he represents six other clients with illnesses possibly related to the recall.
He added: ‘Any consumer who has any of these carrots in their possession should immediately throw them away and contact their doctor if they experience symptoms of an E. coli infection.”
Mrs. Pratt is pictured above with her family. She said she spent three days in the hospital after battling the disease for two weeks
The photo above shows the type of organic carrots Mrs. Pratt purchased and ate before she became ill
It’s not clear how Grimmway Farms’ carrots became contaminated, but experts say it could happen if they were watered with fecal-contaminated water, which could harbor the bacteria.
The company recalled the products on Saturday, saying they had an expiration date of November 12.
They have already been removed from store shelves, but FDA experts fear some may still be lurking in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers.
People have been urged not to eat the roots and to throw them away immediately or return them to sellers for a full refund.
Jeff Huckaby, president of Grimmway Farms, said, “We take our role in ensuring the safety and quality of our products seriously.
“The health of our customers and the integrity of our products are our highest priorities, and we are conducting a thorough review of our growing, harvesting and processing practices.”
He added: ‘Our food safety team is working with our suppliers and health authorities.’
Dana Brennan, vice president of external affairs and corporate responsibility at Grimmway Farms, said the company does not comment on pending litigation, but added: “We are taking this matter seriously and are conducting a thorough review of our operations, in accordance with our continued commitment to providing customers with safe, high-quality products.”
A chart shows some of the more than 70 recalled organic whole and baby carrots
Infections have been reported in Washington, Oregon, California, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Massachusetts.
Organic baby and whole carrots are included in the recall, which has affected many grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Walmart.
The baby and whole carrots were sold under the following major brand names: Whole Foods’ 365, Target’s Good and Gather, Walmart’s Marketside and Trader Joe’s and Wegmans own carrots.
Other brand names included: Bunny-Luv, Cal-Organix, Compliments, Full Circle, GreenWise, Grimmway Farms, Nature’s Promise, O-Organic, President’s Choice, Raley’s, Simple Truth, Sprouts and Wholesome Pantry.
Some do not have an expiration date printed on the packaging, while others have an expiration date of September 11 to November 12.
The map above shows where people have become ill from the E.coli-infested roots. New York, Washington and Minnesota are important hotspots
E.coli infects up to 95,000 people and kills 100 in the US each year, estimates show. Most of them catch the microorganism through their food.
It can survive the stomach acids and enter the intestines, where the toxins it releases damage the lining of the intestines and cause diarrhea and loose stools.
E.coli can also enter the bloodstream, where it destroys red blood cells that can block the kidneys, causing damage and making it difficult for them to filter the blood.
Patients often become infected after eating food contaminated with the bacteria, and their illness can last for at least a month.
Treatment includes antibiotics to kill the E.coli and bed rest to help the body fight the disease.