A Michigan woman has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Taco Bell and several lettuce suppliers, alleging contaminated lettuce served at the fast-food chain sickened customers during a multistate Cyclospora outbreak.
The lawsuit, filed Monday (Aug. 3) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, names Taco Bell Corp., Taco Bell of America LLC, Taylor Fresh Foods Inc., Taylor Farms California Inc. and other yet-to-be-identified lettuce suppliers as defendants.
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Plaintiff Dawn Koss alleges she became ill after eating at a Taco Bell restaurant in Yale, Michigan, on June 28.
According to the complaint, she later tested positive for Cyclospora, a parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, and continues to experience lingering effects despite receiving antibiotic treatment.
The lawsuit seeks class-action status on behalf of consumers nationwide who allegedly became sick after eating lettuce or lettuce-containing menu items served at Taco Bell during the outbreak period. It also proposes a separate Michigan subclass.
Related: Warren woman sues Taco Bell, Taylor Farms over alleged Cyclospora illness linked to lettuce
Allegations against defendants
The complaint alleges the defendants failed to properly source, inspect, handle and monitor lettuce that was ultimately contaminated with Cyclospora.
It seeks compensatory, consequential and punitive damages, along with restitution and attorneys’ fees.
Federal health officials have been investigating a multistate Cyclospora outbreak since July.
According to the lawsuit, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported thousands of confirmed and suspected cases nationwide in 2026, including an outbreak affecting Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.
The complaint also cites a July recall by Taylor Farms of iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico that was identified as a potential source of the outbreak.
The lawsuit acknowledges, however, that the federal investigation remains ongoing.
Koss alleges Taco Bell locations in Michigan stopped serving lettuce and several other fresh ingredients during the outbreak after health officials identified lettuce or salad greens as a likely source of illnesses.
Legal claims, next steps
The lawsuit includes claims of strict product liability, negligence, breach of warranty, negligence per Se and violations of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act.
The defendants had not filed responses to the allegations as of Wednesday.
The claims in the lawsuit have not been proven in court.