Marler Clark Files First Lawsuit in Kellogg's Honey Smacks Salmonella Outbreak

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., June 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The first lawsuit was filed today in Michigan federal district court against Kellogg's on behalf of Winnie Lemieux who developed a Salmonella infection after consuming Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal. Ms. Lemieux is represented by the Seattle Law Firm, Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm and Michael Heilmann, a local, and well-respected Michigan attorney.  The case number is Case 1:18-cv-00682.

In May 2018, Ms. Lemieux purchased a box of Honey Smacks cereal from a Walmart store in Kansas. Over the next two weeks, Ms. Lemieux consumed a bowl of cereal every morning. 

On May 24, Ms. Lemieux began feeling ill and after over a week of experiencing symptoms she was admitted to the Southwest Medical Center in Liberal, Kansas on June 3 admitted with infectious colitis, hyponatremia, hypokalemia, as well as being septic. She tested positive for Salmonella. She received intravenous antibiotics and was discharged on June 7. She continues to experience symptoms to this day.

"Salmonella outbreaks linked to cereal are rare, there have only been a handful in the last 20 years," said Bill Marler, managing partner at Marler Clark.  "Frankly, I expected more from Kellogg's after it was linked to the deadly Salmonella Peanut Corporation of America outbreak in 2009.  Kellogg's needs to up its food safety game," added Marler.

On June 14, the CDC and FDA announced an outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka linked to Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal. There are 73 people ill with this strain of Salmonella in 31 states: Alabama (2), Arizona (1), California (5), Connecticut (3), Georgia (2), Illinois (1), Indiana (3), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (2), Massachusetts (5), Maryland (1), Michigan (4), Mississippi (1), Montana (1), North Carolina (3), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (3), New York (7), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (5), Rhode Island (2), South Carolina (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (2), Utah (1), Virginia (4), Washington (3), Wisconsin (1), West Virginia (3).

The ages of the ill people range from less than one year to 87 (median 58 years) and 65% of cases are female. Reported illness onset dates range from 3/3/18 – 5/28/18. Among 55 with available information, 24 (44%) have been hospitalized.

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, for the last 25 years 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 $650 million for clients.  Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.

SOURCE Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm