Cryptosporidium Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark : Cryptosporidium Blog

If you became ill with Cryptosporidiosis after being exposed to contaminated water at the Seneca Lake State Park Sprayground, the Marler Clark attorneys can evaluate your potential for a legal claim.

Click here to open the interactive version of the Cryptosporidium Case Evaluation Form. You can fill it out on-line, print it, and mail it to us at

Marler Clark LLP, PS
6600 Bank of America Tower
701 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104

We will review your questionnaire, and contact you about your potential claim.

If you intend to pursue a claim, you must do so promptly. The law requires that you file a notice of claim within ninety days from the date of exposure to preserve your claim rights.

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William Marler (Bill) is the managing partner in the law firm Marler Clark L.L.P., P.S. Since 1993, Bill has represented thousands of victims of E. coli, Salmonella, Hepatitis A, Listeria, Shigella, Campylobacter and Norovirus illnesses in over thirty States.

Food poisoning lawsuits against companies responsible for introducing contaminated food into our food supply have become the focus of Bill's professional career as an attorney. Bill's first client who was injured after consuming contaminated food was nine-year-old Brianne Kiner, who fell with an E. coli O157:H7 infection and Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome after eating a contaminated hamburger during the now-infamous Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak of 1993. Bill negotiated a $15.6 million settlement for Brianne's injuries, a record in the State of Washington for personal injury cases. He resolved several other cases from the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak for over $2.5 million each.

Bill, known as the "E. coli lawyer," has since represented thousands of people sickened or killed in outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 and other food borne pathogens, including Salmonella, Hepatitis, Shigella, Campylobacter, Norovirus, and Listeria. In 1998, he negotiated a reported $12 million settlement for the families of children who fell ill after drinking E. coli-contaminated apple juice sold by Odwalla; and in 2001, a jury awarded the families of eleven children Bill represented $4.6 million for the injuries they received during an E. coli outbreak traced to school lunch served at Finley Elementary School in Finley, Washington. He also resolved dozens of E. coli cases in 2003 related to one of the largest meat recalls in United States history. Bill recently settled an E. coli case for a young girl for $11 million. In addition, he has been lead counsel in litigation stemming from the following:

Seneca Lake State Park Cryptosporidium Outbreak

Dole Lettuce E. coli Outbreak

Sheetz Salmonella Outbreak

Paramount Farms Salmonella Outbreak

Sequoias Portola Valley E. coli Outbreak

Chi-Chi's Hepatitis A Outbreak

Gold Coast Produce E. coli Outbreak

Golden Corral Salmonella Outbreak

Habanero's E. coli Outbreak

Chili's Salmonella Outbreak

Peninsula Village E. coli Outbreak

Harmony Farms Salmonella Outbreak

Clarkston Quality Inn Salmonella Outbreak

KFC Salmonella Outbreak

Spokane Produce - E. coli Outbreak

Emmpak E. coli Outbreak

King Garden E. coli Outbreak

BJ's E. coli Outbreak

ConAgra E. coli Outbreak

Brook-Lea Salmonella Outbreak

Kunick Salmonella Outbreak

Western Sizzlin' Salmonella Outbreak

Shipley Sales Salmonella Outbreak

Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel Norwalk Outbreak

Abbott Cheese Listeria Outbreak

Robeson School District E. coli Outbreak

Black Forrest Salmonella Outbreak n

Bauer Meat E. coli Outbreak

Malt-O-Meal Salmonella Outbreak

Golden Corral E. coli Outbreak

Sun Orchard Salmonella Outbreak

Subway Hepatitis A Outbreak

San Antonio Taco Salmonella Outbreak

Karl Ehmer E. coli Outbreak

Supervalu E. coli Outbreak

Linh's Bakery Salmonella Outbreak

McDonalds Hepatitis A Outbreak

China Buffet E. coli Outbreak

Royal Fork Shigella Outbreak

Kentucky Fried Chicken E. coli Outbreak

D'Angelo's Hepatitis A Outbreak

Viva Mexico Shigella Outbreak

Sizzler E. coli Outbreak

Carl's Jr. Hepatitis A Outbreak

Wendy's E. coli Outbreak

Senor Felix Shigella Outbreak

Excel E. coli Outbreak

Bill speaks frequently on issues of safe food and formed OutBreak, Inc., (see www.outbreakinc.com), a non-profit business dedicated to training companies on how to avoid food borne diseases. He has been chosen by the attorneys of the State of Washington as a "Super Lawyer," he has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Attorneys. He is married to Julie Marler and they have three daughters, Morgan, Olivia and Sydney. Bill is a past board member of the Washington State Trial Lawyers, a member of the board of directors of Bainbridge Youth Services, and a member of the Children's Hospital Circle of Care. He is involved in numerous other civic and political causes.

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By ERNEST HOOPER, Times Columnist
September 16, 2005

Not a day goes by that someone doesn't contact the newspaper about a Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

Everyone wants to help.

Of all the efforts, however, one of the most unique may be a seven-figure offer from Tampa's Romark Laboratories. The pharmaceutical company will donate up to $1-million worth of its gastrointestinal, anti-infective drug Alinia to public health authorities in the gulf states.

Folks sometimes joke about diarrhea, but it's a serious concern in disaster situations. The kind of infectious diarrhea caused by the parasite cryptosporidium can last up to four weeks and cause severe abdominal pain. Alinia is the only FDA-approved treatment for cryptosporidium, and according to Romark, cryptosporidium is usually found in 67 to 98 percent of surface water.

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By CRAIG FOX
Finger Lakes Times
cfox@fltimes.com

GENEVA - A Rochester attorney and a nationally known Seattle law firm have filed a class action suit on behalf of families who became sick after visiting the spraypark at Seneca Lake State Park.

The Seattle law firm of Marler Clark and Rochester attorney Paul Nunes filed the case Tuesday against the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which owns and runs the state park.

The four-year-old sprayground was closed Aug. 15 after about 40 people complained of a gastrointestinal illness. In subsequent weeks, reports of the outbreak grew to nearly 4,000 people across the state and nation.

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By BEN DOBBIN
Associated Press Writer
September 13, 2005, 1:34 PM EDT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The agency that oversees New York's parks and recreation sites was the target of a class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday on behalf of an estimated 3,800 people who developed gastrointestinal illnesses after visiting a popular water park in central New York.

A suburban Rochester couple, Tim and Jackie Springer, and their three young children became ill after spending the day at the state-run Sprayground near Geneva in late July. After caring for his children, the father ended up in the hospital with a secondary infection, the lawsuit alleged.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Suzanne Schreck
1-800-884-9840 Ext. 1879
sschreck@marlerclark.com

ROCHESTER, NY (September 13, 2005) - Marler Clark and Underberg & Kessler filed a class action complaint today against the New York Office of State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The lawsuit, which was filed in the State of New York Court of Claims, was filed on behalf of nearly 4,000 people who became ill with Cryptosporidiosis after visiting the Spraypark at Seneca Lake State Park in July and August. The named plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Timothy and Jacqueline Springer, a Monroe County couple, and their three children, who became ill with Cryptosporidium infections after visiting the Spraypark in late July.

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Billy Steve Clayton

Minneapolis and St. Paul use the Mississippi River for their cities' water needs and sell water to some surrounding cities. St. Paul also uses water from regional watersheds, moving its supply through a system of lakes and aqueducts. Most of the other metro communities get their water from wells. Generally, well water needs less cleaning than surface water but surface water needs less mineral-removal. Only 23 Minnesota communities draw water from lakes, rivers or other surface sources.

40 filter units like the one shown below fill Minneapolis' new 1.5-acre water treatment facility in Columbia Heights.

The state-of-the-art system uses an ultrafiltration system that can remove disease-causing microorganisms such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. The filters are cleaned regularly and can be repaired or replaced when necessary. The new plant's output is about the same as the old sand-filtration system it replaces -- up to 70 million gallons a day

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Friday, September 02, 2005
By CRAIG FOX
Finger Lakes Times
cfox@fltimes.com

GENEVA - A Rochester attorney and a nationally known Seattle law firm yesterday filed a notice of claim for a class action suit they may bring on behalf of some families who became sick after visiting the spraypark at Seneca Lake State Park.

The law firm of Marler Clark and Rochester attorney Paul Nunes filed the paperwork in the case that could be brought against the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which owns and runs the state park.

The 4-year-old sprayground was closed Aug. 15 after about 40 people complained of a gastrointestinal illness. In subsequent weeks, reports of the outbreak grew to more than 3,869 people in 35 counties -- with 612 cases confirmed.

The state Health Department determined the illness was cryptosporidiosis, caused by a microscopic parasite.

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By AARON E. LOONEY
The Ascension Citizen

As of Monday, the popular spray ground at Jambalaya Park remained temporarily closed, after recent claims that visitors became ill after visiting the park.

The illness was found to be caused by cryptosporidium, a parasite believed to be contracted while the children were at the park, according to DHH officials.

The parasite may be found in drinking water and recreational water in every region of the United States and throughout the world, according to information from the CDC. It causes a condition known as Cryptosporidiosis, which has symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting.

DHH officials were on hand Friday morning to investigate the matter, Berthelot said. He added that while there was no conclusive evidence to show that the infections came from the park, all of the victims involved reported becoming ill after visits to the park.

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Notice filed against state over Sprayground outbreak

Lauren Stanforth
Staff writer

(September 2, 2005) - Two lawyers filed a notice Thursday with the state Attorney General's Office that they intend to pursue a class action lawsuit against the state for the massive parasitic outbreak that struck Seneca Lake State Park's Sprayground this summer.

Tricia Van Putte of Greece is the only individual named in the notice of claim. She appears in the notice on behalf of herself and her two small children who attended the Sprayground on Aug. 11 and contracted cryptosporidiosis, a gastrointestinal illness caused by the parasite cryptosporidium.

But the notice also alerts the state of the attorneys' intentions to file a lawsuit involving more clients. Rochester lawyer Paul Nunes, one of the lawyers who filed the notice, said he has been contacted by about three dozen people interested in getting retribution for illness associated with the park.

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Lauren Stanforth
Staff writer

(September 1, 2005) - Rochester and Seattle attorneys together filed a notice today with the state attorney general's office that they intend to pursue a class action lawsuit against the state for the massive parasitic outbreak that struck Seneca Lake State Park's Sprayground last month.

Tricia Van Putte of Greece is the only individual named in the lawsuit. She appears in the lawsuit on behalf of her two small children who attended the Sprayground on Aug. 11 and contracted cryptosporidiosis, the gastrointestinal illness that is caused by the parasite.

The state found the parasite in the Sprayground's two water tanks in mid-August. The state has said its investigation into how the parasite got there is continuing. More than 3,200 people have reported becoming ill after attending the spray park between June and mid-August.

The notice said a class action lawsuit involving other clients could be started through Van Putte's claim. A notice of claim is not a lawsuit; it is a document that allows attorneys more time to file a lawsuit.

The Seattle attorney specializes in public health outbreak cases.

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By Andrea Reeves Staff Reporter

Information on crypto

The Hamilton County Health Department is trying to track the outbreak of crypto, a fecal-borne disease caused by ingestion of fecal matter. If you were in the Powell Crosley YMCA pool after Aug. 1 and you've had diarrhea, call health officials at 347-3273 between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. seven days a week.

The best ways to avoid "crypto" is to:

Wash your hands often and thoroughly.

Thoroughly clean and cook food.

Don't swallow pool water.

Stay out of the pool for two weeks after symptoms stop if infected.
"Crypto" is usually not life-threatening. But in 1993, an estimated 403,000 residents of the greater Milwaukee, Wis., area became ill when an ineffective filtration process led to the inadequate removal of cryptosporidium in one of two municipal water treatment plants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 4,400 persons were hospitalized and about 100 people died in the Milwaukee case.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ROCHESTER, NY (September 1, 2005) - Marler Clark and Underberg & Kessler filed a notice of claim today against the New York Office of State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The notice indicates the intent to file a class action lawsuit on behalf of over 3,200 people who became ill with Cryptosporidiosis after visiting the Sprayground at Seneca Lake State Park in July and August. The notice was filed on behalf of Tricia Van Putte and her two young children, who will be the named plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit, and who became ill with Cryptosporidium infections after visiting the Sprayground. Marler Clark and Underberg and Kessler have been retained by several other families.

The New York State Health Department shut down the Sprayground on August 15 after it was determined that the Sprayground's water holding tanks, which were used to recycle water, were contaminated with Cryptosporidium. On August 26, the Health Department issued an update on its investigation into the outbreak, announcing that 3,297 cases of Cryptosporidium had been reported in 33 New York counties. Of those cases, 415 were confirmed cases reported to the State Health Department. Thirty-three people had been hospitalized with Cryptosporidiosis.

In 1997, 369 people, mostly children, became ill with Cryptosporidiosis after playing in a water fountain at a Minnesota zoo. In 1999, at least 38 people became ill with Cryptosporidium or Shigella infections after playing in a spray fountain at a beachside park in Florida.

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Health agencies urge precautions against 'crypto' parasite

By Ryan Clark
Cincinnati Enquirer staff writer
Thursday, September 1, 2005

Area health officials are urging the public to help prevent the spread of an illness found in local pools.

Cryptosporidiosis, or crypto, is a diarrhea-causing parasite that can cause stomach cramps, nausea and fever, and is passed person-to-person, said Tim Ingram, Hamilton County health commissioner.

Authorities said Wednesday that more than 180 probable and confirmed cases have been identified in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. The Ohio Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have sent staff members to assist in the disease investigation.

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