Qdoba Lawsuit: The Jalapeño Salmonella Class Action, Explained
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Short answer, checked October 5, 2026: the qdoba lawsuit in the news is a proposed class action filed on September 10, 2026 in federal court in San Diego. It claims QDOBA served jalapeños tied to the summer 2026 Salmonella Javiana outbreak without warning customers. The CDC declared that outbreak over on October 2, 2026: 488 people sick in 34 states, 65 hospitalized, no deaths. There is no settlement, no fund and no claim form.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Lawsuit Says Happened
Federal investigators linked the outbreak to fresh jalapeño peppers from a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed in the U.S. by Coast Citrus Distributors. Chipotle and QDOBA both received that product. In its final count the CDC identified illness clusters at 5 QDOBA locations in 2 states (and 31 Chipotle locations in 7 states).
Two customers sued QDOBA Restaurant Corp., its owner Butterfly Equity LP and Coast Citrus. The lawsuit alleges they ate QDOBA meals with the jalapeños — one in Portland, Oregon on July 11, 2026, one in Aurora, Colorado on July 31, 2026 — and got sick within hours. Neither says they saw a doctor. The core claim is a failure to warn: the plaintiffs say they would not have bought the food had they known. The claims are negligence, strict product liability, unjust enrichment and violations of California, Colorado and Oregon consumer-protection laws.
One detail to watch: FDA’s August 5 update says QDOBA stopped using jalapeños in all its stores on July 28, 2026, three days before the Colorado meal described in the complaint. These are allegations; no court has ruled on them.
Case Details
Trujillo, et al. v. Qdoba Restaurant Corp., et al., No. 3:26-cv-05137-BJC-VET, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, filed September 10, 2026. Per the CourtListener docket record, it is assigned to Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks, with Magistrate Judge Valerie E. Torres. QDOBA is headquartered in San Diego. The case is in federal court under the Class Action Fairness Act; the complaint says more than $5,000,000 is in controversy. You can read the 22-page complaint.
Status: Newly Filed, No Settlement
The outbreak itself is over. The CDC and FDA closed their investigation on October 2, 2026, and FDA said it could not determine how the peppers were contaminated. Coast Citrus recalled the jalapeños, and several companies recalled products made with them. A refund for a recalled grocery product comes from the store under that recall — it is not part of this lawsuit.
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Who Is in the Proposed Classes
The complaint proposes a nationwide class of everyone in the U.S. who bought jalapeños distributed by Coast Citrus from QDOBA during the relevant period, plus Colorado and Oregon subclasses. Those definitions are only proposals; the court decides later whether any class is certified, and the plaintiffs can change them.
You do not sign up for a class action. Comments like “add me” on news sites do nothing. If a class is certified or a settlement is reached, notice goes out under court supervision.
If you were seriously ill — a doctor visit, a positive stool test, a hospital stay — your situation differs from a buyer’s refund claim. Individual injury claims are usually brought on their own, and lab results matter. Save receipts, app order history, and medical records showing Salmonella Javiana. Our guide on what a personal injury case is worth explains the factors.
Is There Any Money?
For context, not a prediction: class claims about food purchases, where most members were not seriously hurt, tend to resolve for small per-person amounts if they resolve at all. Real money in outbreak cases usually goes to individual claims with medical proof. Any estimate you see online is a guess. For how class payouts are typically split, see our payout calculator.
Qdoba Jalapeño Outbreak and Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
June 2026 — Illnesses Begin
People start getting sick from June 16, 2026, per the CDC’s final count. Reported meal dates run from June 14 to July 29.
- 2
July 28, 2026 — QDOBA Pulls Jalapeños
Per FDA, QDOBA stops using jalapeños in all its stores. Chipotle had switched its supplier at affected stores from July 20.
- 3
August 5, 2026 — Outbreak Made Public
FDA and CDC report 345 cases in 27 states and name jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus. A recall and downstream recalls follow.
- 4
September 10, 2026 — Class Action Filed
Two customers sue QDOBA, Butterfly Equity and Coast Citrus in the Southern District of California, No. 3:26-cv-05137.
- 5
October 2, 2026 — Outbreak Declared Over
Final count: 488 sick in 34 states, 65 hospitalized, no deaths. FDA could not determine how the peppers were contaminated.
- 6
As of October 2026 — No Settlement
The case is at the complaint stage. No class has been certified; no fund, administrator, claim form or deadline exists.
Three Things to Watch For
A fresh outbreak case with no claim form invites imitators:
“QDOBA settlement” claim forms
There is no settlement and no official claim site. A page asking for your card number, bank details or Social Security number to “receive your QDOBA payment” is not connected to this case.
Comment-section “add me” follow-ups
People post "add me" comments under outbreak news. Anyone who then contacts you claiming to have “added” you to the class, for a fee, is misrepresenting how class actions work.
Fake recall refund messages
Real recall refunds come from the store where you bought the product, per the recall notice on FDA’s site. Texts with links promising a QDOBA or jalapeño “refund” are phishing.
Qdoba Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
What is the Qdoba lawsuit about?
A proposed class action filed September 10, 2026 claims QDOBA served jalapeños contaminated with Salmonella Javiana and failed to warn customers. It also names QDOBA’s owner, Butterfly Equity, and the distributor, Coast Citrus. The case is Trujillo v. Qdoba Restaurant Corp., No. 3:26-cv-05137, in the Southern District of California.
Is there a Qdoba settlement or claim form?
No. As of October 5, 2026 the case has just been filed. No settlement, fund, claim form or deadline exists.
How many people got sick?
The CDC’s final count on October 2, 2026 was 488 people in 34 states, with 65 hospitalizations and no deaths. That covers the whole outbreak, including Chipotle customers and others. The CDC says the true number was likely much higher, because many people are never tested.
Am I part of the class if I ate at QDOBA this summer?
Possibly, if a class is ever certified. The proposed class covers U.S. customers who bought Coast Citrus jalapeños from QDOBA during the relevant period. Nothing is certified yet, and you do not need to sign up anywhere.
Is it still safe to eat at QDOBA?
FDA reported that QDOBA stopped using jalapeños in all its stores on July 28, 2026. The CDC said it did not consider QDOBA or Chipotle a current ongoing risk in this outbreak. The outbreak was declared over on October 2, 2026.
I got really sick. What should I do?
Keep your medical records, any lab result showing Salmonella, and proof of where and when you ate. Serious illness is usually pursued as an individual claim rather than through a buyer class action. Talk to a licensed attorney before signing anything. See also how an injury claim works.
Is this the same as the Taco Bell or Chipotle cases?
No. The Taco Bell cases involve a separate 2026 Cyclospora outbreak tied to lettuce — see our Taco Bell lawsuit page. Chipotle was part of this same jalapeño outbreak, but this class action names QDOBA, not Chipotle.
What are the symptoms of Salmonella?
Per FDA, illness usually starts 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and lasts four to seven days: diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to become seriously ill.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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