Bill Marler, food safety advocate and attorney, whose Seattle law firm, Marler Clark, has been contacted by victims of the E. coli outbreak traced to the National Steak and Poultry steak recall that has sickened people in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, South Dakota and Washington, called today on National Steak and Poultry to pay the medical bills and lost wages of all individuals.

“We know that several people became ill with E. coli infections after eating National Steak and Poultry steak,” Marler said. “The cost of treating victims of E. coli infections can run in the tens of thousands of dollars, or in a severe case, in the hundreds of thousands of dollars or more,” Marler continued. “These families need National Steak and Poultry to do more than promise to cooperate in the investigation into this outbreak. They need to know that National Steak and Poultry intends to fulfill its corporate responsibility by looking out for its customers.”

Marler noted that in other outbreak-situations companies such as Chi-Chi’s, Dole, Jack in the Box, Con Agra, Odwalla and Sheetz advanced medical costs for outbreak victims whose illnesses were traced to their food products.

Since the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak in 1993, Bill Marler has represented thousands of E. coli victims against corporations such as AFG, Bauer Meats, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Byerly’s, ConAgra, Cub Foods, Dole, Emmpak, Excel, Finley School District, Fresno Meat market, Gold Coast Produce, Habaneros, Interstate Meats, Jack in the Box, Karl Ehmer, Applebee’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, King Garden, Kroger, Lunds, McDonalds, Odwalla, Natural Selections, Nebraska Beef, Olive Garden, Peninsula Village, Pat & Oscar’s, PM Beef Holdings, Sam’s Club, Sizzler, Spokane Produce, Sodexho, Supervalu, Taco Bell, Taco John’s, Topps, United Food Group (UFG), Walmart, Wendy’s and Whole Foods. Total recoveries on behalf of victims have been in excess of $500,000,000.00

Several times a month Marler, through the non-profit OutBreak, Inc., speaks to industry and government throughout the United States, Canada, China and Australia on why it is important to prevent foodborne illnesses. He is also a frequent commentator on food litigation and safety.