Two more lawsuits filed in connection to Flathead County E. coli outbreak

Two new lawsuits were filed last week in connection with this summer’s deadly E. coli outbreak in the Flathead Valley, making six in total.

Nevada Jackson from Post Falls, Idaho and Adam Starks from Monroe County, New York both filed complaints in the U.S. District Court of Montana in Missoula on Oct. 29. Both were sickened from eating Wagyu beef contaminated with E. coli while visiting the valley in early July.  

Two people died and 22 others got sick from the July E. coli outbreak in Flathead County, according to court documents. 

The plaintiffs are being represented by the Bliven Law Firm in Kalispell and the Marler Clark Inc. in Bainbridge Island, Washington. Jackson’s suit is against Lower Valley Processing and RANGE Land and Cattle Co., the Harbor Grille and the Docks Bayside LLC, among other parties. Starks’ suit was filed against Lower Valley Processing, RANGE Land and Cattle Co., as well as Yikes Inc. and Gunsight Saloon.  

Jackson dined at the Harbor Grille on July 10, according to court documents. He consumed a Wagyu hamburger prepared with beef produced and distributed by RANGE and Lower Valley Processing. 

He began to experience symptoms of an E. coli infection about July 13. His initial symptoms included diarrhea, nausea and severe stomach cramps. These symptoms quickly became so severe that he required emergency medical treatment, according to court documents. Jackson was hospitalized from July 13 through July 17 and received additional medical care and treatment.  

The complaint said Jackson’s current damages exceed $75,000. 

Starks ate a Wagyu burger at Gunsight Saloon on July 7, according to court documents. He became symptomatic about July 11 with nausea, stomach cramps, fatigue and diarrhea that turned bloody. His condition worsened further through July 13, when he was admitted to the emergency room at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center. Starks stayed in the hospital until July 15, where a stool culture was performed that later tested positive for E. coli. 

In July, state and local health officials conducted genetic testing on the Wagyu beef in Flathead County restaurants to determine it was contaminated with E coli. Flathead City County Health Department Population Health Supervisor Malia Freeman told the Daily Inter Lake in September that the agency is notified of positive E. coli cases through the Montana Infectious Disease Information System.  

Both state and local health officials follow-up with a case investigation to determine if the person who got sick was connected to the outbreak in Flathead County.  

Following the outbreak, all potentially contaminated products from Lower Valley Processing were removed from the marketplace, according to state health officials.  

Gunsight Saloon in Columbia Falls, Hops Downtown Grill in Kalispell, Tamarack Brewing Company in Lakeside, The Lodge at Whitefish Lake and Harbor Grille in Lakeside were connected to E. coli cases, according to state and local health officials.  

Several other facilities — Flathead Fish, the Crawdad Café and Flathead Lake Lodge — received contaminated Wagyu beef from the same lot number, but no reported illnesses have been associated with those establishments. 

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4433 or by emailing tinman@dailyinterlake.com.