BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — A woman is suing Boar's Head and Publix after her husband was killed by listeria when he ate ham and cheese products purchased at the grocery store in Florida, according to a lawsuit.
It's the latest of multiple lawsuits Boar's Head faces related to the deaths and illnesses caused by the listeria outbreak.
In April of 2024, Judith Adams bought Boar's Head ham and cheese inside a Publix located in Brooksville for her husband Otis Adams Jr., the lawsuit says. The woman continued to buy ham and cheese from the same brand as she believed it was made by "a superior brand that she could trust." Towards the end of the month, Adams Jr. began to feel sick and developed symptoms of weakness, diarrhea, fatigue and a fever.
The man initially refused to go to the hospital as he believed he had a normal sickness that would eventually go away. The lawsuit said his symptoms became worse and Adams called his cardiologist. The cardiologist then told the couple that Adams Jr. urgently needed to go to the hospital.
In early May 2024, the lawsuit said Adams checked into HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital, where he was diagnosed with listeriosis. After receiving treatment, Adams Jr. reportedly died a few days after going to the hospital.
The lawsuit accuses Publix of failing to warn its customers of the possible dangers of buying food sold by Boar's Head after its facility in Virginia consistently failed to meet standards from the United States Agricultural Department for handling meat products. The facility had pipes located in the ceiling that leaked liquid onto the floor, causing a puddle that was left alone for a long time and forming algae, the lawsuit adds. The same liquid from the pipes was found dripping onto some of the products produced at the facility. To relieve the problem, workers often placed plastic bags around the leaking area, but it would then collect large amounts of brown liquid.
The lawsuit adds equipment used to process meat had rust on it, doors were covered in pieces of rotting meat, drains were clogged with animal fat, employees did not wash their hands before touching the meat and pools of blood were found on the floor and in walk-in coolers.
The Sarasota-based company announced on Sept. 13 that it was closing its Virginia plant and discontinuing the production of liverwurst. The facility has not been operated since late July after the USDA suspended inspections and the firm recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meats due to potential contamination. As of October 2024, 10 people have died from the listeria outbreak. Another 59 people in 19 states have reportedly been sickened by the bacteria. Each person who was sick was also hospitalized, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Boar's Head officials have said they "regret and deeply apologize" for contamination in their products.
Listeria infections are caused by a hardy type of bacteria that can survive and even thrive during refrigeration. An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the CDC. Infections can be hard to pinpoint because symptoms may occur up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food.
ABC Action News has reached out to Publix for a statement but has not yet heard back.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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