Number of illnesses has drastically risen to almost 200 in less than a week; Another lawsuit has been filed against the Lexington restaurant

Davidson County resident and military retiree David Lutz has filed a lawsuit against Stance, Inc. and Tarheel Q Inc. after suffering from Salmonella poisoning from food purchased and eaten at the Tarheel Q restaurant. Lutz is represented by Brett Dressler, Esq. of Sellers Ayers Dortch Lyons Attorneys at Law and William D. Marler, Esq., of Marler Clark, LLP.  Both law firms are representing other victims in the outbreak, and have previously filed other lawsuits.

On or about June 9, 2015, Mr. Lutz purchased and consumed the chicken and barbecue “special” from the Tarheel Q restaurant. Within just a few days, he began to suffer agonizing symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and dehydration.

On June 11, 2015, Lutz sought medical treatment for his symptoms that included antibiotics. Despite his medical treatment, he continues to suffer ongoing symptoms…and he is not alone.

The North Carolina Division of Public Health reports that at least 197 people have been sickened from 14 North Carolina counties and 6 states. Eighty-two percent of cases had illness onset dates between Tuesday, June 16, 2015, and Sunday, June 21, 2015.

All 197 people ate at Tarheel Q on West US Highway 64 in Lexington, in the days before falling ill, officials said.

Laboratory testing indicates that the BBQ sample and a sample from a patient who became ill during the beginning of the outbreak are both positive for Salmonella species.

“Cross contamination, especially in a restaurant setting, is difficult to avoid once an item of food has been tainted with Salmonella,” said Brett Dressler, of Sellers Ayers Dortch Lyons Attorneys. “Sick employees are often the cause of Salmonella outbreaks and all it takes is for them to not wash their hands properly or at all and you’ve got a bunch of Salmonella BBQ specials going out to your customers.”

Salmonella is the second most common foodborne illness in the United States. Approximately 1.4 million cases of Salmonella occur each year with 95% of those caused by tainted food. The acute symptoms of Salmonella include the sudden onset of nausea, abdominal cramping, and bloody diarrhea and mucous over a period of days. While there is no cure, infected persons usually recover completely, although it may take months. A small number of people experience ongoing symptoms such as joint pain, which can lead to chronic arthritis.

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $600 million for clients.  Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants.  The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.

If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.