A Chicago woman has filed a federal lawsuit against Wendy's, alleging she was hospitalized with a severe gastrointestinal infection after consuming a double cheeseburger from the restaurant chain. The complaint, filed by 68-year-old Roxie Ellis Douglas, claims the meal was contaminated with Campylobacter and other bacteria.
The lawsuit follows a meal Douglas ordered online on August 5, 2025, from a Wendy’s location on South Stony Island Avenue in Chicago. According to the filing, the food was delivered by DoorDash in a sealed bag. Douglas alleges that she contracted campylobacteriosis, a bacterial infection often linked to raw or undercooked poultry, which led to further medical complications including acute infectious colitis, gastroenteritis, and dehydration.
Court exhibits include a summary of medical expenses totaling $93,578.24 since August 6, 2025. These costs include approximately $2,848 for emergency transport, $67,291 for two separate hospital stays at Advocate Trinity Hospital, and nearly $13,000 for a colonoscopy performed in January 2026. The lawsuit accuses Wendy’s of negligence, strict product liability, and breach of implied warranty of wholesomeness, alleging the company failed to maintain sanitary conditions.
Wendy’s has not yet filed a formal response to the lawsuit and did not respond to requests for comment. On its corporate website, the company states it uses a "preventive, risk-based approach to food safety" and that all suppliers undergo regular testing and audits. The company also notes that since 2018, it has sourced 100 percent of its beef from Beef Quality Assurance certified sources.
A person in a similar situation would notice immediate physical distress and potential long-term medical monitoring, such as the colonoscopy Douglas underwent five months after the initial infection. Such cases can influence how large food service corporations manage their supply chains and kitchen protocols. The lawsuit also occurs alongside a broader national context of food safety concerns; the CDC is currently monitoring a separate cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to Taylor Farms lettuce that has affected approximately 14,000 people across 47 states and resulted in two deaths.
The outcome of this litigation could establish a precedent for how individual illness claims are handled regarding third-party delivery services and sealed packaging. The case was moved to federal court in Chicago on August 20, 2026, after being initially filed in state court on July 30. A date for a formal response from Wendy’s or subsequent court hearings has not yet been reported. Douglas is seeking a money judgment to be determined by the court.