After three years and six months, the civil litigation on behalf of sixty-six families of the injured and the dead has been resolved against all remaining defendants. The settlement was finalized late last week. The settlement amount is confidential and the parties agreed to the following statement:
“The matter was resolved by mutual agreement of the parties.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 147 people in 28 states were identified as part of the Listeria outbreak traced to cantaloupes grown by Jensen Farms in August and September of 2011. 33 deaths and 1 miscarriage were officially attributed to this outbreak, though the total dead may be as high as 36.
Marler Clark represented the families of 46 victims of the 2011 Listeria outbreak linked to cantaloupe grown by Jensen Farms. The law firm pursued compensation from Jensen Farms, the firms that audited the farm’s food safety practices, the companies that distributed the Listeria-contaminated cantaloupes and the retailers that sold the unsafe food.
Jensen Farms declared Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on May 25, 2012. All Marler Clark clients’ claims with Jensen Farms were resolved through the bankruptcy proceedings; however, claims against other parties were finally resolved in the last weeks. The Jensen brothers were criminally charged.
Marler Clark filed lawsuits on behalf of all 46 families. Those lawsuits were brought against multiple defendants in courts in 12 states. They were filed on behalf of the families of 29 people who died and 17 people who survived.
The total past medical expenses to date were in excess of $15,000,000.