Phoebe Judge

Suzanne later told a reporter that Breanne's muscles all over her body had atrophied so much she struggled to chew food.

As Bill read about food safety standards, he learned that Jack in the Box hadn't been the only restaurant that didn't follow the new Washington state cooking temperature rule to cook ground beef to 155 degrees.

Most counties in the state weren't enforcing it.

There were a number of restaurant inspection reports from the weeks before the outbreak where state health inspectors wrote things like, remember to cook to 140.

Bill sent Jack in the Box's lawyers a formal request for any internal documents that had to do with how the restaurant stored, prepared, and cooked its meat.

Bill spent weeks poring over the documents.

While going through the files from their quality assurance department, he found a notice from the Washington State Department of Health describing the new mandatory cooking temperature for beef.

According to the date on the document, Jack in the Box had received it seven months before the outbreak began.

Bill found something else.

Before the outbreak, a Jack in the Box employee sent a complaint to corporate headquarters.

Quote,

Jack in the Box management replied, quote, we would like to acknowledge the time and effort you have taken to contribute to the success of Jack in the Box by enclosing this pen.

Jack in the Box's lawyer was a man named Bob Piper.

In early 1995, he and Bill met at a hotel in Seattle, along with representatives from Jack in the Box's insurance company, to try and negotiate a settlement for Brianne Kiner's family.

At the time, the biggest personal injury settlement in the state was $10 million.

Bill was hoping to settle Brianne's case for even more, in part because he thought Brianne deserved it, and also he wanted the food industry to finally start taking E. coli and food safety seriously, and he thought this would set a precedent they couldn't ignore.

His opening demand was $100 million.

We'll be right back.

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