What We Know About the Boar’s Head Listeria Outbreak
CDC and FSIS investigated a multistate Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Boar’s Head ready-to-eat deli meats sliced at retail delis. The investigation is closed with 61 illnesses, 60 hospitalizations, and 10 deaths across 19 states.
How Investigators Linked Boar’s Head
State partners in Maryland and New York tested unopened Boar’s Head liverwurst from retail stores. Whole genome sequencing matched the outbreak strain in patient samples. Of 48 people interviewed, 94% reported eating deli meats, and 61% reported Boar’s Head liverwurst specifically.
FSIS also found the outbreak strain in the environment at Boar’s Head’s Jarratt, Virginia plant. On July 30, 2024, the company expanded its recall to about 7 million pounds of deli products. On September 13, 2024, Boar’s Head closed the Jarratt plant indefinitely and permanently discontinued its liverwurst line. The plant resumed limited operations on February 2, 2026 after extensive safety upgrades.
Ron Simon Filed the First Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Ron Simon & Associates announced the first wrongful death listeria lawsuit in this outbreak on behalf of the family of Gunter Garshon Morgenstein, an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor and Newport News, Virginia resident who died on July 18, 2024 after eating Boar’s Head liverwurst. The lawsuit was filed in Sarasota County, Florida in September 2024 (where Boar’s Head is headquartered). Boar’s Head reached a confidential settlement on December 13, 2024. Our attorneys continue to represent hospitalized patients and families who lost loved ones after eating recalled Boar’s Head deli meat.
Who Was Most at Risk
The median age of people sickened was 78 years. Listeria is especially dangerous for adults over 65, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. Ten deaths were reported in Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, and South Carolina.
Your Legal Rights
If you were hospitalized or lost a family member after eating recalled Boar’s Head deli meat, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages. Statute of limitations deadlines vary by state, so document your exposure and diagnosis promptly.
Ron Simon & Associates is a food poisoning law firm that has recovered over $850 million for victims nationwide. Our Listeria lawyers focus on foodborne illness litigation and are reviewing claims from this outbreak. Contact us for a free consultation at 1-888-335-4901. You pay our law firm nothing unless we recover compensation for you.