MI Couple Sues Taco Bell, Taylor Farms After Cyclosporiasis Infection: Lawsuit

DURAND, MI — A Michigan couple is suing Taco Bell and Taylor Farms after they said they caught cyclosporiasis from eating contaminated lettuce last month, according to a complaint.

Preston and Marie Parrish said they got sick after eating the lettuce at their local Taco Bell on East Lansing Road in Durand on June 30, according to the complaint.

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The couple's lawyers claim they are suffering from loss of enjoyment of life, medical and medical-related expenses and emotional distress caused by a cyclosporiasis infection, according to the complaint.

They are seeking more than $75,000 in damages, according to the complaint.

The lawyers accused Taco Bell and Taylor Farms of ignoring food safety protocols, despite having prior knowledge of cyclospora outbreaks.

"Defendant Taco Bell had a duty, given its knowledge of prior outbreaks of Cyclospora and other pathogens on leafy greens lettuce and other produce, to take reasonable measures to ensure that the produce utilized by its restaurants nationally were safely grown," the complaint reads.

The lawsuit comes as more than 7,000 people across Michigan, and thousands more across the nation, have been sickened by cyclosporiasis, an illness that can cause relentless watery diarrhea.

There were 102 hospitalizations connected to those cases. There have been no deaths attributed to the outbreak.

It was also filed after the FDA focused on lettuce served at multiple Taco Bell locations across five states, including Michigan, as a possible source of the outbreak.

Taylor Farms, a lettuce supplier to some Taco Bell locations, voluntarily recalled some of its products as Taco Bell quickly stopped selling lettuce at select locations.

FDA investigators initially tied 1,644 cyclosporiasis cases in Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia to food from Taco Bell from May 13 to July 13. They later said a lettuce sample provided a "false positive."

They are still searching for the source of the outbreak.

Despite the false positive, Taylor Fresh Foods, the parent company of Taylor Farms in California, is still recalling its iceberg lettuce that was sourced from central Mexico.

"Our thoughts remain with everyone who has fallen ill in this outbreak," Taylor Farms officials said. "We are committed to working with public health authorities as the ongoing outbreak investigation continues."

Michigan health officials do believe lettuce and other salad mixes are tied to the outbreak, but have not yet identified an exact source.

As of Wednesday, there have been no statewide recalls connected to the outbreak.