Victims of the disgustingly diarrhea-inducing cyclospora outbreak can expect to collect tens of thousands of dollars for their pain and suffering in the coming months, experts told The Post on Monday — as the first deaths linked to the outbreak were reported.
Attorneys representing hundreds of people who got sick after eating contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms that was served at Taco Bell said victims could recoup anywhere from $20,000 to as much as $1 million, depending on the severity of their case. A death could garner a seven-figure settlement, they said.
“These people didn’t ask to miss work and family events or get medical bills,” said food safety attorney Ryan Osterholm, whose firm OFT Law represents about 400 confirmed victims.
One of his clients, a man in his 70s, is experiencing renal failure and is now on dialysis, according to the legal eagle.
“We are concerned he could die,” Osterholm said.
Two Michiganders who’d been diagnosed with cyclosporiasis and had underlying health conditions have died, the state health department said Monday.
State reports have logged over 20,000 cyclosporiasis cases nationwide — with around 11,200 in Michigan alone.
Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked the outbreak to Taylor Farms’ Mexican-grown lettuce that was distributed to Taco Bells in five states.
Taylor Farms issued a recall on July 17 of all iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico.
But the outbreak has now reached all 50 states. As of recently, that includes New Hampshire, which linked Taylor Farms lettuce to 17 people who ate at a medical center cafeteria and contracted cyclosporiasis in June and July.
Food safety attorneys are already in discussions with Taylor Farms’ legal counsel, which will likely handle the vast majority of any settlements and lawsuits in this outbreak, which began in May.
Taco Bell has also been named as a defendant in lawsuits, but its contract with Taylor Farms likely includes language stating “if you send me contaminated product, it’s your problem, not mine,” said food safety attorney Bill Marler, who is also representing about 400 victims in this outbreak.
Most of the legal battles will focus on Salinas, Calif.-based Taylor Farms, which accounts for 40% of bagged or packaged salads in the US, according to a Bloomberg report. Taylor Farms issued a recall of certain bagged lettuces sold at retail stores, including Walmart.
“We are still trying to get information to [Taylor Farms], including medical records,” Osterholm said. “There is no way that we can be talking dollar and cents yet.”
It will likely take six months to a year before victims will be compensated for their ordeals, lawyers told The Post.
“A lot of people are just getting diagnosed now after being sick for several weeks,” Osterholm said.
The parasite that causes cyclospora, which results in vomiting and explosive diarrhea, among other symptoms, is found in human feces that can find its way to irrigation systems.
This year’s cyclospora outbreak is the largest outbreak on record, experts say.
Taylor Farms posted a statement on its website last week saying: “We’ve commissioned independent experts to conduct a top-to-bottom review of food safety processes and protocols in our central Mexico facility, where as of July 18, 2026 we have temporarily suspended production of all products.
“We continue to work with health authorities, customers, and independent farming partners to address this issue.”
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