Todd Frankel of the Post-Dispatch called dining with me an unusual experience in his recent article “Seattle attorney is representing 5 of 6 victims in E. coli outbreak,” which refers to the recent Habaneros E. coli Outbreak in Missouri. As Frankel reported:

“I haven’t eaten a hamburger since Jack in the Box,” Marler said, referring to the massive 1993 E. coli outbreak on the West Coast that served as his first experience with his narrow specialty.
“The level of trust we have toward our food supply, in my view, is unwarranted,” Marler said, taking another bite of his salad.

As well as food, Frankel and I discussed the recent Missouri E. coli outbreak. As I told Frankel, I was in St. Louis two weeks after the Habaneros outbreak was first publicized. I’ve been contacted by two of the victims’ families.

“He doesn’t go trolling for business, he said. He’s been involved in several high-profile outbreaks: from salmonella in fruit juices to E. coli at an Atlanta water park.
Marler said he hopes to avoid filing suit in the Habaneros case. He has been talking with the restaurant’s insurance carrier to work out payment for the victims’ medical bills. He estimated that the most seriously injured, Patty Timko, would have bills in excess of $250,000.