A mother of three who was hospitalized with E. coli after eating carrots amid a nationwide recall has filed a lawsuit against the product’s distributor.
Melinda Pratt, 40, 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.
Pratt believes he contracted the virus from fresh organic Grimmway Farms Bunny-Luv carrots he bought at his local Sam’s Club and ate in late September.
Grimmway Farms issued a recall on nearly seven dozen types of carrot products last week after they tested positive for E. coli.
He is now filing a lawsuit against the company. In court documents shared with DailyMail.com, Pratt accuses the company of negligence and failing to keep its customers safe.
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 become ill in 18 states.
Mrs. Pratt is one of 15 people who have been hospitalized. One person has died.
Melinda Pratt, pictured above and from California, filed a lawsuit after becoming ill after eating Bunny-Luv carrots. These have recently been recalled due to E. coli contamination.
This recall is just the latest to rock the U.S., after McDonald’s had to stop serving quarter pounders at 900 of its restaurants last month amid 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.
Additionally, more than 150,000 water bottles sold in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland were also recalled last week after they were found to contain E.coli.
Tests revealed that Pratt was infected with a Shiga toxin-producing strain of E. coli, which can cause permanent kidney damage and death.
Mrs. Pratt said NBC News his stomach pain felt like “someone was stabbed in the stomach repeatedly and it wouldn’t stop.”
“I really thought at some point that I was slowly dying.”
Now, Ms. Pratt wants Grimmway Farms to pay her medical bills and compensate her for her pain and suffering because she believes her experience “seems preventable.”
She told NBC that her bills totaled approximately $20,000 because she was treated at an out-of-network hospital.
His lawyer Ron Simon said: ‘Through this and other lawsuits we will ensure that all victims receive fair and full compensation for their injuries.
“And for Grimmway Farms to take steps to prevent this from happening again.”
While Pratt’s lawsuit is the first, MR Simon said he represents six other clients with illnesses that could be related to the recall.
He added: ‘Any consumer still in possession of any of these carrots should dispose of them immediately and contact their doctor if they experience symptoms of E. coli infection.
Mrs. Pratt is pictured above with her family. She said she was hospitalized for three days after battling the illness for two weeks.
The image above shows the type of organic carrots that Ms. Pratt bought and ate before she became ill.
It’s unclear how Grimmway Farms’ carrots became contaminated, but experts say this can happen if they are watered with water contaminated with feces, which can harbor bacteria.
The company recalled the product on Saturday, saying they had an expiration date of November 12.
They have already been removed from store shelves, but FDA experts fear some are still hiding in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers.
People have been urged not to eat the carrots and to throw them away immediately or return them to the sellers for a full refund.
Grimmway Farms President Jeff Huckaby said: ‘We take seriously our role in ensuring the safety and quality of our products.
“The health of our customers and the integrity of our products are our top priorities, and we are conducting a comprehensive review of our growing, harvesting and processing practices.”
He added: “Our food safety team is working with our suppliers and health authorities.”
Dana Brennan, Grimmway Farms vice president of external affairs and corporate responsibility, said the company does not comment on ongoing legal cases, but added: “We are taking this matter seriously and conducting a thorough review of our operations accordingly. with our continued commitment to providing customers with safe, high-quality products.
A graphic shows several of the more than 70 organic whole and baby carrots recalled
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 have been included in the recall, which has affected many grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Walmart.
Baby and whole carrots were sold under the following major brands: Whole Foods’ 365, Target’s Good and Gather, Walmart’s Marketside, and Trader Joe’s and Wegmans carrots.
Other brands include: 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 package and others have expiration dates from September 11 to November 12.
The map above shows where people have been made sick by carrots riddled with E. coli. New York, Washington and Minnesota are the main hotspots
E. coli infects up to 95,000 people and kills 100 in the United States each year, estimates suggest, most of whom contract the microorganism through their food.
It can survive stomach acid and enter the intestines, where the toxins it releases damage the lining of the intestines causing 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 leaving them struggling to filter the blood.
Patients often become infected after eating food contaminated with the bacteria and their illness can last at least a month.
Treatment includes antibiotics to kill E. coli and bed rest to help the body fight the disease.