Lombard man sues restaurant after E. coli outbreak
Another lawsuit has been filed against a Lombard restaurant that was at the center of an E. coli investigation after an outbreak in June.
Quinten Hayley, 20, of Lombard, lodged the complaint in DuPage County court Tuesday against Los Burritos Mexicanos, 1015 E. St. Charles Road.
Hayley alleges he fell ill with “severe” gastrointestinal symptoms after dining at the eatery on June 7. Four days later, he was admitted to an emergency room, where doctors confirmed the presence of an E. coli infection.
The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, accuses Los Burritos Mexicanos of selling contaminated food, failing to maintain sanitary conditions, and failing to adequately train and supervise employees.
Last month, a Lombard woman filed similar allegations against the eatery.
Public health officials closed Los Burritos Mexicanos on June 14 after confirming four cases of E. coli. As of Wednesday, there had been 31 confirmed or probable cases reported, according to Jason Gerwig of the DuPage County Health Department.
Gerwig said the investigation is ongoing and no cause has been determined.
The restaurant was allowed to reopen in early July after it threw out all of its food, including canned goods, and received additional staff training and testing, he said.
“We did a thorough inspection to make sure they had a clean bill of health before they could reopen,” Gerwig said.
A manager at Los Burritos Mexicanos was not immediately available for comment Wednesday. The Hayley suit is due in court Oct. 16.