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Victims' attorney, William Marler, calls on Chi-Chi's to disclose suppliers of green onions

Marler also asked Chi-Chi's to agree to jointly lift the stay in Bankruptcy Court

Seattle attorney William Marler, in response to Chi-Chi's Press Conference on November 21, and the CDC's announcement on the same date that green onions served at Chi-Chi's have been implicated in the deaths of three, 605 illnesses and 9,100 Immune Globulin (IG) shots, asked Chi-Chi's to immediately disclose the names of the producers and suppliers of the green onions.

"Chi-Chi's must know the names of the producers and suppliers of the hepatitis A tainted onions. Chi-Chi's should willingly disclose that information to both the Bankruptcy Court and the victims without anymore delay," said Marler.

Marler Clark, along with Pittsburgh law firm of Meyers, Rosen Louik & Perry, represent nearly 100 people sickened and exposed in the outbreak. The two firms have jointly filed three lawsuits against Chi-Chi's, and have appeared in the Bankruptcy Court proceedings on behalf of all of the outbreak victims.

Marler praised Chi-Chi's for taking a more proactive approach to compensating victims of the outbreak, and commended Chi-Chi's for agreeing to do the following:

· paying individuals for the cost of receiving Immune Globulin (IG) shots;

· paying individuals for wage loss while ill; and

· paying medical expenses for ill individuals.

"I would only add that Chi-Chi's should also agree with us to ask the Bankruptcy Court to lift the stay on litigation at the next hearing on Tuesday, November 25. Victims should be able to seek full compensation directly from Chi-Chi's, its insurers, and its producers and suppliers without further delay," Marler added.

BACKGROUND: Marler Clark has achieved great success representing hepatitis A victims and other food illness victims in outbreaks across the country over the last ten years. William Marler represented Brianne Kiner in her $15.6 million E. coli settlement with Jack in the Box in 1993. In 1998, Marler Clark resolved the Odwalla Juice E. coli outbreak for the families whose children developed kidney failure and were severely injured after consuming contaminated apple juice. The firm has also obtained settlements on behalf of hundreds of people infected with hepatitis A. Marler Clark has represented victims who became ill with hepatitis A after eating contaminated food at two Seattle Subway Sandwich franchises, a Carl's Jr. Restaurant in Spokane, Washington, three restaurants in Northwest Arkansas, a large wedding party in Michigan, which resulted in a death, a Taco Bell outlet in Florida, and at a deli in Massachusetts. The firm also represents victims of the hepatitis A outbreaks in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina that are linked to contaminated green onions. The partners at Marler Clark also speak frequently on a variety of issues surrounding food safety. Marler Clark is also proud to sponsor the informational web sites of www.about-ecoli.com, www.about-salmonella.com, www.about-shigella.com, www.about-norwalk.com, www.about-campylobacter.com, www.about-listeria.com and www.about-hepatitis.com.

More about the Chi-Chi's hepatitis A outbreak can be found in the Case News area of this site.

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