Taco Bell and its franchisees have been sued at least three times in federal court this week by plaintiffs who allege they became sick with cyclosporiasis after eating at the fast-food chain, as federal health officials have linked outbreaks in five states to the chain’s shredded iceberg lettuce.
Health officials linked lettuce sold at Taco Bell to outbreaks of cyclosporiasis in five states. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Claims brought against Taco Bell and its franchisees, according to lawsuits filed in Michigan and Ohio federal courts this week, include accusations of negligence, breach of warranty and violations of deceptive trade practices law for allegedly selling contaminated lettuce.
Mohammed Ayyad, an Ohio man, sued Taco Bell franchisee Pacific Bells on Thursday, saying he became sick and was left “unable to function” after eating at an Ohio restaurant location in mid-June, claiming he developed a severe headache, chills, diarrhea and vomiting.
Ayyad said he was diagnosed with cyclosporiasis and had to miss two weeks of work and lost income, and his lawsuit accuses Pacific Bells of violating Ohio’s breach of warranty and sales practices law by selling lettuce advertised to be “of a particular standard or quality that it was not.”
