New wrongful death lawsuit against Boar’s Head is first linked to ham

Boar’s Head is facing more fallout from a deadly listeria outbreak at its Virginia plant. For the first time, a wrongful death lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, Oct. 23, claims a man died after eating something other than the company’s “ready-to-eat” liverwurst products, which were the initial sources of the listeria incidents.

Other wrongful death lawsuits have been brought against Boar’s Head but have not been linked to Boar’s Head ham.

Prosecutors say that 79-year-old Otis Adams Jr. of Florida died in early May after eating Boar’s Head ham and contracting listeria. The family’s attorney released a statement saying, “We don’t want anyone else to go through this” and promised a swift legal resolution.

Boar’s Head has not yet responded to the newest wrongful death lawsuit as of the publishing of this report. The company previously apologized for the listeria outbreak and recalled around 7 million pounds of deli meat and poultry products.

In September, Boar’s Head released a statement, saying, “We understand the gravity of this situation and the profound impact it has had on affected families. Comprehensive measures are being implemented to prevent such an incident from ever happening again.”

That same month, Boar’s head announced it was indefinitely closing the Virginia plant and permanently ending the sale of liverwurst.

At least one grocery store chain appears to be cutting ties with Boar’s Head over the outbreak. Missouri supermarket chain Schnucks announced, on the same day as the wrongful death lawsuit filing, that it was switching to Boar’s Head competitor Dietz & Watson in November.

Straight Arrow News previously reported on dozens of alleged health violations at Boar’s Head’s Virginia plant over the last year, including inspectors noting mold, bugs and puddles of blood on the floor of the facility during visits to the plant.

Health officials report that at least 10 deaths and 59 hospitalizations have been linked to the Boar’s Head listeria outbreak, though they believe the number of those sickened by the outbreak may be much higher due to underreporting by those who have recovered.