Last week I called on Cargill (same applies to Sam’s Club) to pay the medical costs and wage loss of victims of the E. coli outbreak traced to the company’s frozen ground beef patties.  Despite suing Cargill in Minnesota, it has been very quiet on taking responsibility.

Cargill recalled nearly 1,000,000 pounds of frozen hamburger nearly two weeks ago and yet has continued to remain silent on selling poisoned product to its customers. Victims of the E. coli contamination include families of children who have been hospitalized in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and North Carolina. In the past, companies like Dole, Odwalla, ConAgra and Jack in the Box willingly paid medical bills and wage loss when their products were identified as the source of E. coli outbreaks.

As I said:

“Without assistance in the form of monetary compensation for medical expenses and lost wages, many of the families with members in the hospital will face financial hardship in the coming months when the bills start coming in.”

“Cargill should do the right thing and begin compensating victims of this outbreak for those most basic needs now. Of course, Cargill will still be responsible for the costs of long-term medical care for victims, but it is better to step up now.”

“Cargill knows it’s going to pay those medical expenses in the end in the form of a settlement or jury verdict. The question is, since they know their product was the cause of these kids’ illnesses, why wait to help these families?”

So, Cargill, Sam’s Club, do you have a response?