Marler Clark files first lawsuit in Kratom Outbreak

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Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm

Apr 10, 2018, 02:54 ET

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The first lawsuit stemming from a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella from kratom was filed today in Colorado District Court. The complaint was filed on behalf of North Dakota resident Ashley Lemke against Soap Korner, LLC in Colorado Springs.

Ms. Lemke ordered two kratom products from Soap Korner's website, "Red MD" and "Chocolate," both advertised and sold as "tea." This was the second time that Ms. Lemke had ordered the product from Soap Korner, after conducting research that kratom could help with fibromyalgia.

On January 3, 2018, after consuming the "Red MD" tea, Ms. Lemke began experiencing low grade fever, chills, and body aches along with bouts of diarrhea. On January 8, Ms. Lemke sought medical attention at a walk-in clinic where they diagnosed her with a viral illness and discharged her. The next day her symptoms continued to worsen.

On January 9, Ms. Lemke was admitted to the hospital in Bismarck. Over the next three days she endured medical testing until she was finally diagnosed with salmonella. Once she was in stable condition, her doctor prescribed medication and discharged her. Ms. Lemke continued to experience symptoms for the next month before her gastrointestinal tract began to function normally again.

"Salmonella can be a deadly pathogen and can find its way into food and drug products that are not hygienically manufactured," said Bill Marler, managing partner at Marler Clark.

The kratom outbreak was initially announced on February 20, by the CDC. To date there are 132 confirmed cases across 38 states. No deaths have been reported.

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation's leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $600 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants. The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.

If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you're interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.

SOURCE Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm