A man from St. Louis County is the second person to seek damages from
Schnucks after falling ill during an E. coli outbreak linked to lettuce sold at
local stores, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in circuit court.
In mid-October, Charles Meyer, 61, ate romaine lettuce and other salad bar
items several times from the Schnucks in Cool Valley. Meyer later developed an
E. coli bacterial infection and was treated at Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur,
where he stayed in the cardiac unit for several days.
Meyer has not regained his previous health and strength since the illness,
according to the lawsuit.
Mary Kozlowski filed suit earlier this month against Schnucks after she
suffered permanent kidney damage from an E. coli infection after eating salads
from the Des Peres Schnucks.
Federal health officials tagged romaine lettuce as the likely culprit of the
E. coli outbreak that sickened 60 people across 10 states this fall.
Investigators determined that romaine lettuce from salad bars at nine Schnucks
locations was the most common denominator in the illnesses.
The contamination probably occurred at a farm before the lettuce reached the
stores, according to a report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Both lawsuits also name Vaughan Foods of Oklahoma, which supplies romaine
lettuce to Schnucks. The plaintiffs are represented by the law firms Aleshire
Robb in Springfield, Mo., and Marler Clark in Seattle.