McDonald’s faced a proposed class-action lawsuit filed on Tuesday following an E. coli outbreak linked to onions used in its Quarter Pounders.
Plaintiffs Amanda McCray of Chicago and William Michael Kraft of Davie, Florida, claim they suffered symptoms associated with E. coli infection after purchasing Quarter Pounders earlier this month. Both plaintiffs stated they would not have purchased the burgers had they known of the contamination risk, asserting that McDonald’s failure to disclose this risk led to personal damages.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Chicago, seeks damages exceeding $5 million on behalf of all U.S. consumers who bought potentially contaminated Quarter Pounders.
McDonald’s, which temporarily suspended Quarter Pounder sales in about 20% of its 14,000 U.S. locations following the outbreak, has yet to comment on the lawsuit. The outbreak has reportedly resulted in 75 illnesses and one fatality. This week, McDonald’s began reintroducing the Quarter Pounder to its menus.
After reporting quarterly earnings, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski expressed regret to customers, affirming that the outbreak appears contained and assuring consumers of the restaurant’s commitment to food safety.