California Lettuce Processor

The Facts: National coordinating counsel for a California-based lettuce producer allegedly implicated in an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that occurred Fall 2006 that was attributed to various Taco Bell locations. WWHGD addressed both the resulting personal injury and business interruption claims, in excess of $100 million, brought by Taco Bell's parent corporation. These claims were litigated over the course of six years through 2012.  

Discovery: The litigation was document-intensive, with an excess of one million documents collected, analyzed and maintained. WWHGD oversaw creation of a defense intranet and document database.

Case Results: All cases were settled and are subject to confidentiality provisions. The matters were resolved favorably with the personal injury claims being settled well within policy limits and the business interruption claims resolving for a small fraction of the initial claims.

Location: Northeasten U.S.

Number of Claimants: 86