Two lawsuits have been filed against the fast-food giant after the CDC announced it was investigating an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders.

  • Rhaedas@fedia.io
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    3 days ago

    Not to defend McD’s, but isn’t it looking a lot like a third party distributor that caused this?

    • basmati@lemmus.org
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      3 days ago

      Lawsuits like this list all possible parties that have money; so McDonald’s, the local store, the local store owner, the distributor, any outside company any of the above companies use that could be linked to sanitation, all of them would be listed.

      If the case goes to trial and the movant(victim) wins, then the jury/judge will assign blame as a percent of the total. McDonald’s may have no liability despite being included, or they may have 10% meaning they need to pay that percent of whatever judgement was awarded.

      Each named party can also independently try to settle to have their name removed from future proceedings.

      • catloaf@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        Yup, the shotgun approach is standard. Most of these people and companies will be removed from the suit pretty quick. McDonald’s will settle fairly soon, because they can save money that way instead of going through the whole trial just to reduce their liability. The main defendant will be the source of the onions, either the farm/importer or the distributor. They’ll settle eventually.

    • Kanzar@sh.itjust.works
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      3 days ago

      A lot of companies have tried to dodge their liability responsibilities by claiming it was an unrelated third party that is responsible.

      The consumer still has a contractual relationship with the vendor, not the upstream provider.

      The vendor is the one who should ensure their supply chain is safe, and can’t demand a stupidly low price that gives no room for safe practices.

        • SaltySalamander@fedia.io
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          3 days ago

          The onions that were contaminated came from Taylor Farms, who supplies the onions for quarter pounders. McDonalds does not own Taylor Farms.

          • ltxrtquq@lemmy.ml
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            2 days ago

            But they did own the onions before they were sold to customers, which I think means they deserve at least some fault here.

            • SaltySalamander@fedia.io
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              2 days ago

              I never said they didn’t deserve some fault. I was challenging sausage boy up there on his assertion that McD’s owns their entire supply chain. They don’t own Taylor Farms, their onion supplier, so the assertion that they own their entire supply chain is wrong.

              • Jimmyeatsausage@lemmy.world
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                2 days ago

                Yes, I’m very sorry to have misspoke…they only own the livestock farms, distribution centers, the land the restaurants are on, and they have exclusive partnerships with the potato growers and ranchers. They DO outsource the pickles from another supplier (who only supply McDonalds), onions (at least the whole ones, couldn’t confirm a source for the dehydrated), and other produce like tomatoes.

      • Qkall@lemmy.ml
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        3 days ago

        i dont disagree but its the onions that are implicated … i havent seen the source of them though, it could be the same folk