Liverwurst Listeria Lawsuit

Wrongful death lawsuits have been filed after Boar’s Head Liverwurst tested positive for the strain of Listeria that is linked to a deadly outbreak of food poisoning.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Liverwurst induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was diagnosed with Listeria after eating Boar’s Head Liverwurst that was recalled for Listeria, 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.

Boar’s Head to Stop Selling Liverwurst Permanently

On September 13, 2024, Boar’s Head said it will stop making and selling liverwurst (the deli meat that tested positive for Listeria), and shut down a facility in Jarrat, Virginia “indefinitely” in response to a deadly outbreak of food poisoning illnesses and deaths.

“We have decided to permanently discontinue liverwurst,” the company said. They also determined that the “root cause of the contamination as a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst.”

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed in Boar’s Head Liverwurst Listeria Outbreak

In September 2024, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the family of a man who died of Listeria after eating a liverwurst sandwich. The sandwich was made with Boar’s Head Strassburger Liverwurst (MADE IN VIRGINIA), a deli meat product that was recalled after it was linked to a food poisoning outbreak.

Listeria Victim Died After Eating Liverwurst Sandwich

The Boar’s Head Liverwurst Lawsuit was filed by the family of an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor, who was a hair stylist in Newport News, Virginia. He frequently ate liverwurst sandwiches and worked right up until he was hospitalized with a Listeria infection, according to his family.

Tragically, he was infected with Listeria after eating the liverwurst sandwich and developed meningitis within just a few weeks. The sandwich was made with Boar’s Head Liverwurst that he bought at his local Harris Teeter store in Virginia, according to the lawsuit.

What is Listeria Meningitis?

Invasive meningitis is one of the most severe complications of food poisoning with Listeria. It occurs when Listeria bacteria spread beyond the digestive system into the bloodstream and central nervous system, resulting in inflammation of the protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord.

Listeria Symptoms Can Take 10 Weeks to Appear

The symptoms of Listeria from Boar’s Head Deli Meat may not appear for up to 10 weeks. When the symptoms do appear, they may include:

People who are not pregnant may experience headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches.
Pregnant people typically experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.

High-Risk People Should Not Eat Liverwurst: CDC

Healthy adults usually do not develop a life-threatening illness, but severe complications are more likely for high-risk people. This is why health officials warn high-risk people not to eat liverwurst and other deli meats, unless the liverwurst is cooked to to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Maryland Health Officials Warn People Not To Eat Liverwurst

On July 26, 2024, the Maryland Department of Health issued a Consumer Advisory for Boar’s Head Liverwurst and other deli meats after a sample tested positive for Listeria.

Health officials in Baltimore collected an unopened liverwurst sample from a retail store in Maryland as part of an investigation into an outbreak of Listeria illnesses.

Boar’s Head Liverwurst Recall for Listeria

The sample of liverwurst in Maryland tested positive for Listeria, which prompted a limited recall for about 200,000 pounds of liverwurst made at a Boar’s Head facility in Virginia:

3.5-lb. loaves in plastic casing, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst MADE IN VIRGINIA.” The products shipped to retailers bear sell by dates ranging July 25, 2024, to Aug. 30, 2024, printed on the side of the packaging.

Boar’s Head Expands Recall After Liverwurst Listeria Matches Strain in Nationwide Outbreak

Further tests confirmed that the same strain of Listeria that was found in the liverwurst matched a deadly outbreak of Listeria. On July 30, 2024, Boar’s Head expanded the liverwurst recall to include over 7 million pounds of deli meat.

Over the next few weeks, health officials linked the deli meat to the largest Listeria outbreak since 2011, with at least 59 people hospitalized and 10 deaths reported in 19 states, according to the CDC Outbreak Investigation: Listeria Outbreak Linked to Meats Sliced at Delis.

What is Liverwurst?

Liverwurst is a type of sausage that is made from liver, primarily pork or beef liver. The consistency of liverwurst can be sliceable like other types of deli meat that are used on sandwiches. Liverwurst can also be a soft, spreadable paté for use on crackers or charcuterie boards.

Like many traditional foods, there is no set recipe for liverwurst. Some styles of liverwurst are also made with other organs, such as the heart or kidneys. It may have different spices or mixtures of meat products.

Liverwurst sausage originated in Germany, where it is also known as “Leberwurst” or “Braunschweigeras.” Liverwurst is also commonly eaten in other parts of Europe, South America (especially Chile and Argentina), the U.S., and Canada, where it is called “liver sausage.”

Do I have a Liverwurst Listeria Lawsuit?

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