Second lawsuit filed over E. coli outbreak Second lawsuit filed over E. coli outbreak (September 29, 2004)

Last year's spate of E. coli infections at The Sequoias retirement community in Portola Valley has engendered a second lawsuit.

Sarah Ish, one of 10 residents of The Sequoias hospitalized for E. coli during the two-week outbreak, has sued The Sequoias food provider Sodexho. Her suit was filed September 23 in San Mateo County Superior Court.

The complaint states that the Maryland-based Sodexho caused the outbreak by providing contaminated raw spinach. Ms. Ish was hospitalized during the two-week outbreak and still suffers from "confusion and loss of energy," William Marler, Ms. Ish's Seattle attorney, said in a press release.

Mr. Marler, who handles many cases related to food-borne illnesses, is also representing the sons of Alice McWalter, an 85-year-old resident of The Sequoias who died October 26 after contracting E. coli. The sons sued Sodexho in February, and the case is pending.

Both suits are seeking an unspecified amount of damages, including compensation for medical bills and pain and suffering.

Sodexho spokesperson Stacy Bowman-Hade said officials at her company believe that both Sodexho and The Sequoias are "completely innocent and were not responsible for the death or injury of Alice McWalter or Sarah Ish."

She said Sodexho's food safety practices are among the most rigorous in the industry.

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