The family of an 11-year-old girl from Jenison, Michigan, has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the operators of a local Wendy’s restaurant.
They are alleging that the establishment’s unsanitary conditions resulted in their daughter’s severe illness and permanent disabilities.
According to the lawsuit filed by Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman, PLLC on behalf of Joy Lamfers, her daughter Aspen Lamfers suffered from acute kidney injury/failure, permanent brain damage, and other serious health issues after consuming food from the Wendy’s location in the summer of 2022.
The complaint states that Aspen, a healthy softball player, fell critically ill three days after eating at the restaurant, experiencing symptoms such as paralysis, seizures, pancreatitis, and hypertension.
Despite receiving medical treatment, Aspen’s health continued to deteriorate, and she was discharged from the hospital over a month later.
The lawsuit alleges that Aspen contracted an E. coli infection from the food she consumed at Wendy’s, despite not eating lettuce, which was linked to a known outbreak of E. coli in several states around the same time.
Attorney Tom Worsfold, representing the family, believes that Aspen’s meal was cross-contaminated due to unsanitary conditions at the restaurant.
The complaint highlights the Ottawa County Health Department’s inspection of the Wendy’s location, which uncovered “gross insanitary conditions” and various health code violations just days before Aspen’s visit.
Additionally, the lawsuit mentions a subsequent increase in hospitalizations for E. coli infections in the area, linking them to the Wendy’s restaurant.
Aspen’s family seeks damages for negligence and gross negligence, citing her permanent disability, extreme pain and suffering, and loss of life expectancy.
They hope to hold Wendy’s accountable for the devastating impact the incident has had on Aspen’s health and well-being.
The family wants the court to grant a judgment against Wendy’s in the amount of $20 million plus interest, costs and actual damages and attorney’s fees as provided by law, and any other relief that the court deems just under the circumstances.
Read the entire lawsuit here.
