Proposed class action lawsuit filed against McDonald’s over E. coli outbreak

Two McDonald’s customers filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the fast food chain on Tuesday. Lawyers for Amanda McCray of Chicago, and William Kraft of Florida filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois. The two plaintiffs said they experienced symptoms of E. coli infection after purchasing Quarter Pounders from the chain earlier this month. Among other things, the lawsuit accuses McDonald’s of negligence, fraudulent concealment, and breach of implied warranty. The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $5 million for anyone in the United States who purchased Quarter Pounders contaminated with E. coli.

As of Friday, at least 75 people in 13 states had been infected in the outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of that number, at least 22 had been hospitalized and one person died. The CDC said the total number of people affected is likely much higher. The CDC has not yet formally determined what part of the burger is making people sick. McDonald’s stores in 12 states have stopped using their current supply of beef patties and slivered onions. The onion supplier to the affected stores, Taylor Farms, has begun a voluntary recall, asking foodservice suppliers to remove its onions.

What is McDonald’s saying? During a quarterly earnings call on Tuesday, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski apologized to customers, and said the outbreak had been contained. He told investors McDonald’s would take the steps necessary to win back the confidence of its customers. Some of those steps included focusing on its $5 value meal promotion, an advertising shift to highlight food safety, and new offerings like the Chicken Big Mac.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s earlier report on the outbreak.