September 25, 2013 — At least 162 people in 10 states have been infected with Hepatitis A after eating contaminated frozen berries, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Hepatitis A outbreak was traced to imported pomegranate seeds from Turkey.
Products included in the recall:
- Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend (frozen berry and pomegranate mix)
- Harris Teeter Organic Antioxidant Blend
- Woodstock Organic Pomegranate Kernels
Illnesses have only been reported in customers who ate Townsend Farms berries purchased at Costco. Lawsuits have been filed against Costco, Townsend Farms, Purely Pomegranate Inc., and Goknur Foodstuffs Import Export Trading in Turkey. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has halted imports from Goknur.
Several class action lawsuits have been filed. One was filed in June 2013 by Thomas Fiore on behalf of Nevada residents who needed medical treatment after eating the product. Another class action was filed by Suzanne Faber, a woman from Colorado Springs who sought a vaccine after eating the product.
Hepatitis A is a contagious virus that spreads through the fecal-oral route and causes inflammation of the liver. Infection can cause severe illness lasting several months, but the disease is not chronic. Massive outbreaks of Hepatitis A typically occur when fecal matter contaminates water or equipment used in cultivation, harvesting, processing, or distribution. Sporadic Hepatitis A infections typically occur when sick food handlers prepare fresh food.
Do I have a Hepatitis A Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Hepatitis A induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by food poisoning after eating contaminated pomegranate seeds, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Food Poisoning Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
