A family has filed a lawsuit against The Kebab Shop and its beef supplier, Olympia Food Industries Inc., alleging that contaminated ground beef caused their child to develop a severe E. coli infection and life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claims the child consumed beef kofta at The Kebab Shop in Atwater Village on or about April 1. Days later, the child began exhibiting symptoms of E. coli infection, including nausea, vomiting, severe fatigue, and bloody diarrhea. The child was subsequently hospitalized at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where medical testing confirmed Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and a diagnosis of HUS, a condition that can lead to kidney complications.
Attorneys for the family allege that the defendants failed to provide food safe for human consumption and violated federal food safety laws. Whole genome sequencing reportedly linked the child's illness to an outbreak strain associated with The Kebab Shop's beef kofta. The child required dialysis, blood transfusions, and suffered seizures and decreased pancreatic function.
This legal action follows a suspected E. coli outbreak investigation announced by the California Department of Public Health, which has been linked to The Kebab Shop chain. As of May 19, nine California residents, six of whom are children, have been infected, with five requiring hospitalization and two developing HUS. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service confirmed on May 24 that ground beef supplied by Olympia Foods was contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
The Kebab Shop has stated that it is fully cooperating with public health officials and voluntarily suspended sales of grilled beef kofta at all locations on May 18, emphasizing its commitment to food safety. The company has declined to comment on pending litigation. This incident echoes a previous lawsuit filed by parents of another child who suffered acute kidney failure after consuming contaminated beef at a Kebab Shop location.
