Boar’s Head Provisions has settled its first wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the Listeria outbreak earlier this year, according to the law firm representing the victim’s family.
The lawsuit was filed by a Virginia family after the death of Gunter Morgenstein, who allegedly contracted listeriosis from consuming Boar’s Head products. The case was brought to a Sarasota County court in Florida, where the deli meat company is headquartered. The terms of the settlement remain confidential.
The complaint alleged that Morgenstein purchased Boar’s Head Liverwurst and other deli meats on June 30 and consumed them over the following days. He began experiencing severe symptoms, including weakness, diarrhea, fatigue, and a fever. After being hospitalized on July 8, Morgenstein succumbed to the illness on July 18. Health officials later confirmed that his case was directly linked to the Boar’s Head Listeria outbreak.
Boar’s Head issued its first recall on July 25, involving 200,000 pounds of potentially contaminated products. A subsequent alert expanded the recall to encompass 7 million pounds of deli meat products, including 71 varieties produced between May 10 and July 29 under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names.
The outbreak, which caused at least 10 deaths and 61 illnesses nationwide, has raised significant concerns about food safety standards in the meat industry.
The settlement marks a critical moment for Boar’s Head as the company continues to address the legal and reputational fallout from the Listeria outbreak. It also underscores the importance of stringent quality control measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
