Woman alleges Wendy's meal caused foodborne illness, led to $93K in medical bills
A woman has filed a lawsuit against Wendy’s, alleging she became ill after eating a meal from the fast-food chain that was delivered via DoorDash and resulted in more than $90,000 in medical bills, according to a court complaint.
Roxie Ellis Douglas filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleging she contracted a campylobacter intestinal infection on or around Aug. 5, 2025, after eating a double cheeseburger and baked potato from the Wendy’s restaurant in Chicago.
Douglas is also said to have suffered acute infectious colitis, leukocytosis, dehydration,
gastroenteritis and hypokalemia secondary to diarrhea. According to court documents, the food was contaminated with bacteria when it left Wendy’s control.
The lawsuit accuses Wendy’s of strict product liability, negligence and breach of warranty of wholesomeness.
According to the court filing, the Ohio-based fast-food chain is accused of failing to use safe and proper food storage, preparation and handling practices, failing to adequately prepare the meal for human consumption and failing to eliminate the presence of Campylobacter bacteria and other illness-producing bacteria, among other claims.
Douglas’ medical bills related to the illness totaled $93,578 and included two hospitalizations.
Wendy’s argued the lawsuit should be heard in federal court, because the parties are from different states and the plaintiff is seeking more than $75,000 in damages, the threshold for such cases.
NBC Chicago has reached out to Wendy’s for comment on the lawsuit.
This story originally appeared on NBCChicago.com.
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