Published August 11, 2026
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation created MDL No. 3196, the "2026 Multistate Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Litigation," on August 1, 2026, consolidating federal lawsuits over a nationwide Cyclospora outbreak that the FDA and CDC have traced to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico. According to the CDC's most recent update, the outbreak has sickened more than 6,300 people across 15 states, with at least 278 hospitalizations and two deaths, both in Michigan.
Taylor Farms recalled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on July 17, 2026, including Marketside-brand iceberg salad and shredded lettuce sold at Walmart. Federal investigators say traceback and epidemiologic data continue to point to that lettuce as the source of the contamination.
Food-safety law firm Marler Clark, along with Darr Law, has filed at least two lawsuits on behalf of individuals sickened in the outbreak, naming Taco Bell Corporation, Taylor Fresh Foods, and Taylor Farms California as defendants. One case, brought on behalf of an Ohio woman who says she was sickened after eating at a Taco Bell that used the recalled lettuce three times in June 2026, was the first to name Taylor Farms directly as a defendant. A separate case was filed by a Michigan couple over illnesses tied to lettuce served at a different Taco Bell location.
With the MDL now formed, additional cases filed around the country are expected to be transferred into the consolidated proceeding for coordinated pretrial handling, a process that typically precedes bellwether trials or settlement talks once the litigation matures.
If you or a family member became ill after eating lettuce or a product containing lettuce during the outbreak period and were diagnosed with cyclosporiasis, see Atumio's Cyclospora outbreak case page to learn more about who may be affected.