Family Sues Chipotle Over Norovirus

A woman from Brookline, Massachusetts, is suing Chipotle in connection with a norovirus outbreak that sickened her 16-year-old son and dozens of others, many of them Boston College students, earlier this month.

Andrea Dow filed the lawsuit Thursday in Norfolk Superior Court. In the suit, Dow says her son hasn't fully recovered from his illness and still suffers from lingering cramps and dizziness.

The lawsuit accuses Chipotle of breach of warranty and negligence, saying Dow's son suffered "great pain of body and mind." Dow is seeking unspecified damages and a trial by jury.

About 140 people, mostly Boston College students, suffered nausea and vomiting the first weekend of December from a norovirus outbreak at the Chipotle restaurant in Boston's Cleveland Circle.

Norovirus can spread from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. It's highly contagious and can spread quickly in places such as daycare centers and cruise ships.

According to a report from the Boston Inspectional Services department, which is responsible for inspecting the city's restaurants, an employee at the Chipotle restaurant in Cleveland Circle was sick while working a shift Thursday.

Chipotle founder and CEO Steve Ells told NBC's "TODAY" show he was "deeply sorry" for the illnesses and taking measures to make Chipotle "the safest restaurant to eat at."

Read the complaint here.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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