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Woman hospitalized TWICE after eating Wendy's cheeseburger 'tainted with deadly bacteria'

Roxie Ellis Douglas, 68, filed a lawsuit alleging a Wendy's double cheeseburger delivered via DoorDash caused a Campylobacter infection that hospitalized her twice and left her with over $93,000 in medical bills. The suit, which seeks damages, claims the food was contaminated before it left the restaurant. Wendy's has not yet issued a formal response.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 outlets · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage Aug 22, 2026 Published 2d ago

A Chicago woman has filed a lawsuit against Wendy's, alleging that a double cheeseburger delivered to her home caused a severe bacterial infection that required two hospitalizations and left her with more than $93,000 in medical expenses.

Roxie Ellis Douglas, 68, says she contracted Campylobacteriosis after eating the burger, which she ordered online on Aug. 5, 2025, along with a baked potato, from a Wendy's location on South Stony Island Avenue. The meal was delivered by DoorDash in a sealed, unopened bag, and nothing appeared to be wrong with the food, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit alleges the burger was "contaminated with Campylobacter and other illnesses producing bacteria" when it left the restaurant's control and was "unreasonably dangerous and in a defective condition" upon arrival. Douglas claims the food was "not fit for the uses and purposes intended — human consumption."

Illness and Medical Bills

The day after eating the meal, Douglas began experiencing symptoms. Her lawsuit lists a cascade of gastrointestinal problems, including acute infectious colitis, dehydration, gastroenteritis, leukocytosis, and hypokalemia secondary to diarrhea.

Court exhibits cited in the complaint show $93,578.24 in healthcare bills incurred since Aug. 6, 2025. These include a $2,848.50 ambulance ride to Advocate Trinity Hospital, $24,434 for an initial three-day hospital stay, and $42,857 for a second, five-day stay a week later. Douglas also underwent a colonoscopy in January 2026 that cost nearly $13,000.

Campylobacteriosis can be especially dangerous for people 65 or older, as Douglas is. The World Health Organization notes it is the most common bacterial cause of gastroenteritis in humans and can be fatal among infants, the elderly, and those with suppressed immune systems. The infection typically comes from exposure to, or cross-contamination with, raw poultry or milk.

Legal Claims and Jurisdiction

The lawsuit, initially filed in state court on July 30, accuses Wendy's of negligence, failure to use safe food storage, preparation, and handling practices, and breach of warranty of wholesomeness. It also includes claims of strict product liability, alleging the company failed to adequately inspect its food, eliminate the presence of Campylobacter and other illness-producing bacteria, and warn consumers of potential dangers.

Douglas is seeking over $75,000 in damages. However, Wendy's, which is based in Ohio, has asked that the case be heard in federal court, citing the significant sum being sought and the fact that the dispute involves parties in different states. The case was formally moved to federal court on August 20.

Background and Response

Douglas said she trusted Wendy's to safely prepare her food and never expected her meal to contain a "deadly pathogen." Her complaint states the food was already contaminated when it left the restaurant and was not fit for human consumption.

Wendy's has been contacted for comment but has not yet issued a formal response.

How each outlet told it

New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC

Framing: Headline emphasizes the woman's illness and the lawsuit, with 'bacteria-tainted' and 'lawsuit'. — Descriptive and matter-of-fact, focusing on legal allegations without sensationalism.

Facts Included:

Chicago woman claims Wendy’s double cheeseburger led to bacterial infection that hospitalizes her twice and over $93,000 in medical bills.
Roxie Ellis Douglas, 68, contracted Campylobacteriosis.
Burger from 'South Stony Island Avenue' location.
Symptoms listed: acute infectious colitis, dehydration, gastroenteritis, leukocytosis, low potassium.
Claims burger was 'contaminated with Campylobacter and other illnesses producing bacteria'.
Ordered double cheeseburger and baked potato online on Aug. 5, 2025.
Delivered by DoorDash in a sealed, unopened bag.
Nothing appeared to be wrong with her dinner.
Lawsuit alleges food was already contaminated when it left Wendy’s and was not fit for human consumption.
Medical expenses since Aug. 6, 2025.
Specific bills: $2,848.50 ambulance, $24,434 first hospital stay, $42,857 second stay, $30,000 colonoscopy in January 2026.
Seeking $300,000 in damages.
Lawsuit initially filed in state court on July 30, removed to federal court on August 20.
Accusations: failure to inspect, eliminate bacteria, failure to warn.
Wendy’s did not immediately return request for comment.

Read the source article →

The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC

Framing: Highlights the hospitalization twice and the 'deadly bacteria' claim, emphasizing severity. — Alarmed, using words like 'deadly bacteria' and 'hospitalized twice.'

Facts Included:

Roxie Ellis Douglas from Chicago says she fell ill and was hospitalized after eating a Wendy’s burger.
She claims over $90,000 in medical bills.
Lawsuit alleges intestinal infection from food 'contaminated with Campylobacter and other illness producing bacteria' from the restaurant at 8645 S. Stony Island Avenue.
Douglas ordered a double cheeseburger and baked potato.
Claims acute infectious colitis, leukocytosis, dehydration, gastroenteritis, and hypokalemia secondary to diarrhea.
68 years old.
Alleges food became contaminated when it left the diner and that Wendy’s was negligent.
Claims include strict product liability and breach of warranty of wholesomeness.
Hospitalized twice and charged $93,578 in medical expenses.
Demanding over $75,000 in damages.
Wendy's says the suit should be heard in federal court due to the significant sum and spanning states.
Campylobacteriosis typically comes from exposure to or cross-contamination with raw poultry or milk.
WHO says it's the most common bacterial cause of gastroenteritis and can be fatal among infants, elderly, and those with suppressed immune systems.
Wendy’s has been contacted for comment, no formal response issued.

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas from Chicago says she fell ill and was hospitalized after eating a Wendy’s burger.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC, New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas is 68 years old.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC, New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas claims she has over $90,000 in medical bills.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC, New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas claims the burger was contaminated with Campylobacter and other illness-producing bacteria.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC, New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas contracted Campylobacteriosis.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimThe Wendy’s restaurant in question is located at 8645 S. Stony Island Avenue in Chicago.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas ordered a double cheeseburger and baked potato from the Wendy’s location.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC, New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas claims she suffered acute infectious colitis, leukocytosis, dehydration, gastroenteritis, and hypokalemia secondary to diarrhea.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC, New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas claims the food became contaminated when it left the diner and that Wendy’s was negligent.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas’s lawsuit includes claims of strict product liability and breach of warranty of wholesomeness.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas was hospitalized twice due to the infection.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC, New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas was charged $93,578 in related medical expenses.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC, New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimThe exact total of medical bills is $93,578.24, including an ambulance ride of $2,848.50, a first hospital stay of $24,434, a second stay of $42,857, and a colonoscopy costing nearly $13,000.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas is demanding over $75,000 in damages.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC
ClaimRoxie Ellis Douglas is seeking $50,000 in damages.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimWendy’s says the suit should be heard in federal court due to the significant sum and because it spans different states.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC
ClaimThe lawsuit was initially filed in state court on July 30 before being removed to Chicago federal court on August 20.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimThe order was placed online on Aug. 5, 2025, and delivered by DoorDash in a sealed, unopened bag.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimNothing appeared to be wrong with the dinner when it was delivered.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimThe lawsuit alleges the food was already contaminated when it left Wendy’s and was not fit for human consumption.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimCampylobacteriosis typically comes from exposure to, or cross-contamination with raw poultry or milk.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC
ClaimThe World Health Organization says Campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of gastroenteritis in humans and can be fatal among infants, the elderly, and those with suppressed immune systems.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC
ClaimThe law firm representing Douglas said she underwent a colonoscopy in January 2026 that cost nearly $13,000.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimThe lawsuit accuses Wendy’s of failure to use safe and proper inspection practices, failure to eliminate the presence of Campylobacter bacteria and other illness-producing bacteria, and failure to provide adequate warning to consumers.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimWendy’s has been contacted for comment and no formal response has yet been issued.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via The Sun U.S Edition as of Aug 22, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC, New York Post as of Aug 22, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 outlets · 2 articles consulted: New York Post, The Sun U.S Edition 25 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-22