SHIAWASSEE COUNTY, MI (WTVB) – A Michigan couple has filed a federal lawsuit seeking $75,000 in damages from Taco Bell Corp. and its produce supplier, Taylor Fresh Foods, after contracting severe cyclosporiasis infections from contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce.
Preston and Marie Parrish of Durand, filed the civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan following a June 30 visit to a local Taco Bell restaurant.
Represented by OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers, the couple alleges that the Mexican-grown lettuce they consumed was “grossly contaminated with fecal matter containing the Cyclospora parasite,” which resulted in debilitating gastrointestinal illness, pain, emotional distress, and costly medical expenses.
The litigation comes amid a massive multistate outbreak of the foodborne parasite, which federal and state health agencies have linked directly to Taylor Farms lettuce served at select fast-food locations.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA, the ongoing health crisis has sickened thousands of people across multiple states, with Michigan serving as the epicenter of the outbreak.
In response to the widening contamination, Taylor Farms initiated a voluntary recall of its Mexican-sourced iceberg lettuce, while Taco Bell proactively purged the supplier’s produce from its supply chain nationwide.
The FDA has since said the testing of Taylor Farms lettuce revealed a false positive for Cyclospora.
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