The widow of a man who died from listeriosis has filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart, which sold them the cantaloupe that carried the disease-causing bacteria. The woman is also suing the companies that distributed the melon and were responsible for auditing the safety of the farm where it was grown. After the farm filed bankruptcy, the widow claimed that all of the victims were not properly compensated. One other man died from the contaminated melon and six more became sick.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that a total of 150 people from 28 different states were affected by the Listeria outbreak that caused the death of the widow’s husband. It was reported to be one of the deadliest outbreaks of food poisoning in the history of the United States. The attorneys who are representing the widow say that, while lawyers attempted to settle the claims of many people during the bankruptcy of the farm, the settlements received for each were inadequate.
According to court documents, the widow’s husband was taken to a local hospital by emergency personnel. A few days after arriving, the man’s blood was tested and was confirmed to contain Listeria monocytogenes. He was then transferred to a different hospital, where he passed away. State agriculture inspectors now conduct safety audits twice a year to prevent such a fatal accident from happening again.
Unfortunately, not all crops can be ensured to be safe. Victims of such serious food poisoning, and the survivors of those who have lost their lives, may benefit from the help of a personal injury attorney with experience in these types of wrongful death cases. They may be able to determine if a lawsuit can be filed and what amount of monetary compensation should be pursued.
Source: Lincoln Journal Star, “Widow sues Wal-Mart, others in listeriosis death”, Richard Piersol, August 07, 2013