Chicago Woman Sues Wendy’s After Alleged Bacterial Infection From Double Cheeseburger

A 68-year-old Chicago woman has filed a lawsuit against Wendy’s, alleging that a double cheeseburger meal she ordered from one of the fast-food chain’s restaurants caused a serious bacterial infection that resulted in hospital stays and tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses.

Roxie Ellis Douglas says she became ill after eating a double cheeseburger and baked potato ordered from a Wendy’s restaurant on South Stony Island Avenue in Chicago on August 5, 2025. According to her federal court complaint, the food was delivered to her home in a sealed, unopened DoorDash bag.

The lawsuit alleges that the meal was contaminated with Campylobacter and other bacteria capable of causing illness. Douglas claims she subsequently developed campylobacteriosis, an infection associated with the Campylobacter bacteria, as well as several serious gastrointestinal complications.

The allegations have not been proven in court. Wendy’s had not filed a formal response to the lawsuit at the time described in the court filings, and a company spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Serious illness followed the meal

According to the complaint, Douglas began experiencing severe symptoms shortly after eating the Wendy’s meal. Her lawsuit links the alleged infection to conditions including acute infectious colitis, gastroenteritis, dehydration, elevated white blood cell levels and hypokalemia, a condition involving low potassium levels that can occur following prolonged diarrhea.

The medical expenses presented with the lawsuit indicate the scale of the treatment she received.

Court documents show that Douglas has incurred $93,578.24 in medical expenses since August 6, 2025, the day after she ate the meal. The expenses include ambulance transportation to Advocate Trinity Hospital, inpatient treatment and later medical care.

The documents state that emergency medical transportation cost $2,848.50. Her first hospital stay cost more than $24,000, while a subsequent five-day hospitalization was listed at more than $42,000. A colonoscopy performed in January 2026 cost nearly $13,000, according to the filing.

The case therefore involves not only allegations of food contamination but also a substantial financial burden resulting from the medical treatment Douglas says she required.

What is Campylobacter?

Campylobacter is a type of bacteria that can cause an infection known as campylobacteriosis. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Campylobacter is one of the common causes of bacterial diarrheal illness in the country.

People can become infected through contaminated food or water, as well as through contact with animals or other sources of the bacteria. Poultry is a particularly important source because the bacteria can be present in raw chicken and can spread through cross-contamination when food is handled improperly.

Symptoms can include diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. Most people recover without specific treatment, although some infections can become serious.

Older adults can face greater risks from foodborne illnesses. The CDC specifically identifies adults aged 65 and older among groups that are more likely to experience serious complications from Campylobacter infection.

Douglas was 68 when the alleged illness occurred.

What the lawsuit alleges about Wendy’s

Douglas's complaint accuses Wendy’s of failing to maintain appropriate sanitary conditions and failing to ensure that ingredients and other materials used to prepare the meal were safe for consumption.

The lawsuit also alleges that the company failed to provide adequate warnings about hazards associated with the meal.

Her claims include strict product liability, negligence and breach of warranty of wholesomeness. She is seeking financial damages, with the amount to be determined through the legal process.

Importantly, the lawsuit represents Douglas's allegations rather than an established finding that the Wendy’s meal caused her illness. Establishing a direct connection between a particular food item and a bacterial infection can involve medical evidence, laboratory testing, epidemiological information and other evidence.

Wendy’s food safety standards

Wendy’s publicly describes food safety as a central part of its operations. On its corporate website, the company says it uses a preventive, risk-based approach intended to identify and address potential food safety problems before they occur.

The company also says its suppliers are subject to food safety testing and auditing procedures.

Wendy’s has separately highlighted standards associated with its beef supply. According to its corporate information, the company has sourced its beef from Beef Quality Assurance certified sources since 2018.

Those stated policies could become relevant as the lawsuit progresses, although the allegations made by Douglas have not yet been tested through a trial or resolved by a court.

A broader food safety concern

Douglas's case comes at a time when foodborne illness has received significant attention in the United States.

The material surrounding the lawsuit also references a separate nationwide outbreak of cyclosporiasis associated with contaminated iceberg lettuce. That outbreak has been linked to lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and served at Taco Bell locations, according to reports cited in the original material.

Cyclosporiasis is different from Campylobacter infection. It is caused by a parasite called Cyclospora cayetanensis and can cause prolonged gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly diarrhea.

The two situations should not be confused. There is no indication in Douglas's lawsuit that her alleged Campylobacter infection was connected to the separate lettuce outbreak.

Food safety investigations often involve tracing ingredients through complex supply chains, examining preparation practices and determining where contamination may have occurred. A single illness allegation does not necessarily establish that a restaurant-wide contamination event took place.

Previous foodborne illness incidents

Wendy’s has faced food safety allegations in the past. The company was associated with several reported foodborne illness incidents over the years, including E. coli outbreaks.

A 2022 E. coli outbreak investigated by public health authorities involved more than 100 people across several states and was associated with eating at Wendy’s restaurants. Earlier incidents were also reported in connection with individual Wendy’s locations.

However, previous outbreaks do not establish that the allegations made by Douglas are true. Each foodborne illness case depends on its own evidence and circumstances.

What happens next?

Douglas's lawsuit was initially filed in state court on July 30 before being transferred to federal court in Chicago on August 20, according to the court documents described in the original report.

The next stages of the case could involve responses from Wendy’s, discovery, examination of medical records and evidence concerning the food Douglas consumed.

A key question will be whether the available evidence can establish that the Wendy’s meal was contaminated with Campylobacter and that the contamination caused Douglas's illness.

For consumers, the case serves as another reminder of the importance of food safety, particularly for older adults and others who may be more vulnerable to complications from foodborne infections.

For Wendy’s, the lawsuit presents allegations that could require the company to defend its food preparation and safety practices in court.

For now, however, no court has determined that the restaurant was responsible for Douglas's illness. The case remains an allegation awaiting further legal proceedings, while the medical expenses documented in the filings illustrate the potentially serious consequences that can follow a severe gastrointestinal infection.