$2,700,000 Listeria Death Settlement, Now Lawyer Investigating Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak
Attorney Fred Pritzker settled a Listeria death case for $2,700,000. The case involved an 81-year-old man who contracted a Listeria infection (listeriosis) after eating food contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. After investigating the outbreak case, determining potential defendents and identifying and understanding the damage done to the family, settlement negotiations were commenced. Although initially the defendants did not acknowledge any responsibility for the outbreak, Pritzker was able to get the $2,700,000 settlement. Contact Fred Pritzker for a free consultation regarding a Listeria wrongful death lawsuit.
Mr. Pritzker and his team of attorneys at PritzkerOlsen are now investigating the Listeria outbreak linked to whole Rocky Ford cantaloupe grown by Jensen Farms in Granada, Colorado. One of the wrongful death cases the firm is handling involves a 76-year-old Illinois man who died from complications of Listeria, primarily sepsis, on September 11, 2011. He ate cantaloupe every day before developing symptoms of listeriosis.
Lawyers Representing Listeria Victims Nationwide
Attorney Fred Pritzker, Elliot Olsen, Brendan Flaherty and Ryan Osterholm are accepting cantaloupe Listeria cases in all affected states:
California (1), Colorado (14), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Kansas (6 probable cases), Maryland (1), Montana (1), Nebraska (4), New Mexico (10), Oklahoma (8), Texas (9), Virginia (1), West Virginia (1), Wisconsin (2), and Wyoming (1).
The list of affected states continues to grow. We have been contacted by families and victims of the outbreak who suspect their cases are part of the outbreak, and we are in the processes of doing the epidemiology and microbiology to determine if they are. In addition, because patients can develop listeriosis up to 2 months after eating contaminated food, cases related to this outbreak may continue to be reported through October.
Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak Information from the CDC
CDC has confirmed a total of 55 persons infected with the 4 outbreak-associated strains of Listeria monocytogenes. All illnesses started on or after August 4, 2011. Listeriosis illnesses in several other states are currently being investigated to determine if they are part of this outbreak.
Among persons for whom information is available, illnesses began on or after August 4, 2011. Ages range from 35 to 96 years, with a median age of 78 years old. Most ill persons are over 60 years old or have health conditions that weaken the immune system. Fifty-nine percent of ill persons are female. Among the 43 ill persons with available information on whether they were hospitalized, all were hospitalized.
Eight deaths have been confirmed as part of the outbreak by the CDC: 2 in Colorado, 1 in Maryland, 4 in New Mexico, and 1 in Oklahoma. Fred Pritzker and his team are investigating other deaths that are likely caused by the contaminated Jensen Farms cantaloupe.
Evidence That Jensen Farms Cantaloupe Caused the Listeria Illnesses and Deaths
Among the 36 ill persons with available information on what they ate, 34 (94%) reported consuming cantaloupes in the month before illness onset. Several ill persons remembered the type of cantaloupe they had eaten and said they were Rocky Ford cantaloupes, which are grown in the Rocky Ford region of southeastern Colorado. Source tracing of the cantaloupes that ill persons ate indicated that they came from Jensen Farms, and were marketed as being from the Rocky Ford region. These cantaloupes were shipped from July 29 through Sept 10 to at least 17 states with possible further distribution.
Laboratory testing by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment identified Listeria monocytogenes bacteria on cantaloupes collected from grocery stores and from an ill person’s home. Product traceback information from Colorado state officials indicated these cantaloupes also came from Jensen Farms. Laboratory testing by FDA has identified L. monocytogenes matching outbreak strains in samples from equipment and cantaloupe at the Jensen Farms’ packing facility in Granada, Colorado.
Jensen Farms Cantaloupe Recall
In response to the Listeria outbreak linked to its cantaloupe, Jensen Farms, of Holly, Colorado recalled their shipments of Rocky Ford whole cantaloupe shipped between July 29th, 2011 and September 10th 2011, and distributed to the following states by Frontera Produce of Texas: IL, WY, TN, UT, TX, CO, MN, KS, NM, NC, MO, NE, OK, AZ, NJ, NY, PA. The cantaloupe was also distributed by other companies, including Basila Produce in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Wal-Mart Distribution in Los Lunasand, NM.
The whole cantaloupes may have a green and white sticker that reads: Product of USA- Frontera Produce-Colorado Fresh-Rocky Ford- Cantaloupe or a gray, yellow, and green sticker that reads: Jensen Farms-Sweet Rocky Fords. Some recalled cantaloupe may not have a sticker.
Retailers who received recalled cantaloupe include Walmart, Albertsons, Whole Foods Market, Supervalue (retail network includes ACME®, ALBERTSONS®, CUB®, FARM FRESH®, HORNBACHER’S®, JEWEL-OSCO®, SHAW’S/STAR MARKET®, SHOP ‘N SAVE® and SHOPPERS®), King Soopers. Additional retailers received the cantaloupe, but federal and state health officials have not released a list of all retailers.
Tags: Cantaloupe Food Poisoning, Cantaloupe Lawsuit, Cantaloupe Recall, Colorado Cantaloupe Lawsuits, Listeria, Listeria Lawsuit, Listeria Lawyer, Listeriosis, Listeriosis Recall, New Mexico Cantaloupe Outbreak, Recall Wrongful Death
