Summary

• Georgia woman files lawsuit in response to E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots.

• Melinda Pratt says she was hospitalized for three days with an E. coli infection she contracted after eating carrots from Grimmway Farms.

• The company issued a recall on Saturday. The affected carrots were sold at major chains including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Target.

Melinda Pratt had bought the same brand of organic carrots for years: Grimmway Farms’ Bunny Luv.

Pratt, 40, a mother of three in Savannah, Ga., said she most recently bought the brand’s whole carrots at her local Sam’s Club on Sept. 30.

After eating them, she said, she started having bloody diarrhea and stomach pains that felt like “someone’s been stabbed in the stomach repeatedly and it won’t stop.” Her symptoms also included nausea and vomiting, Pratt said, adding that she was the only one in her household who ate carrots.

“I really thought at one point I was slowly dying,” she said.

A few weeks later, she was hospitalized for three days with an E. coli infection. Pratt filed a lawsuit against Grimmway Farms on Monday. The company recalled batches of whole and baby organic carrots on Saturday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined the products were likely linked to an E. coli outbreak in several states.

The CDC has reported 39 cases, 15 hospitalizations and one death associated with the outbreak in 18 states. New York, Minnesota and Washington have recorded the highest number of cases so far.

Pratt said she filed the lawsuit because she believes her experience “seems like it could be easily prevented.”

Hers is the first suit related to this E. coli outbreak. The suit, filed by the law firms Ron Simon & Associates and Gomez Trial Attorneys, seeks to compel Grimmway Farms to pay Pratt’s medical bills and compensate her for pain and suffering. Pratt said in an interview that she owes $20,000 for her treatment because she went to an out-of-network hospital, though NBC News was unable to independently review her medical bills.

Dana Brennan, vice president of external affairs and corporate responsibility at Grimmway Farms, said in a statement that the company does not comment on ongoing litigation, but offered a general comment about the recall: “We take this matter seriously and are conducting a review thorough review of our operations in line with our ongoing commitment to provide customers with safe and high-quality products,” she said.

In a press release announcing the carrot recall, Grimmway Farms President and CEO Jeff Huckaby said the health of its customers and the integrity of its product are the company’s “highest priorities.”

“We are conducting a thorough review of our growing, harvesting and processing practices. Our food safety team is working with our suppliers and health authorities,” he said.

The recalled carrots were sold under a wide range of brand names in major stores across the country, including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Wegmans, Target and more. No longer on store shelves: Affected whole carrots sold through Oct. 23, while baby carrots have a best-by date of Nov. 12, Grimmway Farms said in the press release about the recall. However, the products may still be in homes, so the company has instructed people to throw them away.

Pratt’s lawsuit was filed in Kern County, California, where Grimmway Farms is based. It claims the company breached its duty to provide safe products and failed to warn about the potential dangers of carrots. Now recovered, Pratt said she hopes the suit could help prevent future outbreaks.

Ron Simon, one of Pratt’s attorneys, said he represents six other clients with illnesses that may be related to the outbreak. He specializes in food safety cases and said he expects the number of lawsuits to increase. Simon said he continues to receive calls from people who believe they have been sickened by tainted carrots.

E. coli bacteria are usually spread through feces, which can contaminate food and water. Cooking can kill the bacteria, but because some produce is eaten raw, it has been associated with outbreaks in recent years, including one last month likely linked to sliced ​​onions served at McDonald’s Quarter Pounders.

Symptoms of an E. coli infection can include diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. In vulnerable groups, such as children or older adults, the bacterium can lead to serious kidney complications and even death. Of the roughly quarter million E. coli infections a year in the US, less than 10% develop into a serious case, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Simon said two particular problems are common in E. coli outbreaks linked to produce: poor washing and poor testing.

“With vegetables, especially fresh vegetables and salads, they’re not cooked, so you’re completely relying on the washing process to get rid of E. coli,” he said.

Pratt said it was a relief that her husband and their children — ages 20, 18 and 11 — didn’t eat the carrots.

“To think that one of my family members…” Pratt said, trailing off as he choked up. “To go through what I went through is unimaginable.”

For now, Pratt said, he’s “done with carrots for a while.”

“I would never have thought that carrots could have caused the sickness I went through,” she said. “I’m kind of scared to go grocery shopping now.”