79-year-old retired veteran Otis Adams Jr. died after consuming allegedly tainted meat from Boar's Head. The deli company has been in the middle of a listeria outbreak thanks to their liverwurst, but Adams Jr. reportedly never ate liverwurst. Instead, he ate Boar's Head Tavern Ham and Yellow American Cheese.
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The grandfather died in May this year. His spouse, Judith Adams, filed a complaint yesterday in the 12th Judicial Circuit in Sarasota County, Florida. She is seeking "just and proper" damages and relief against the "completely preventable death."
Morgan & Morgan, the firm representing the Adams family, said in a statement, "Mrs. Adams is fighting to hold Boar's Head accountable for the allegedly unsafe conditions at the Jarratt, VA facility that allegedly led to her husband's death, and to make sure no one else has to go through the pain and loss she has experienced."
Veteran Eats Boar's Head Ham And Falls Fatally Ill
In the lawsuit, it is said that Judith Adams purchased Boar's Head Tavern Ham and Boar's Head Yellow American Cheese around April 12. Two weeks later, and she purchased more of the ham for him from the same location, a Publix store.
Adams became ill after consuming the ham over the next few days. He experienced weakness, diarrhea, fatigue, and a fever according to the complaint. He swiftly developed meningitis and sepsis as the sickness infected his blood.
Adams Jr. succumbed to the illness on May 5.
There have been lots of food contaminations and outbreaks recently, with many investigations ongoing to determine root causes and what actions to take next. Listeria has popped up in more and more headlines.
Boar's Head had to recall 7 million pounds of product in light of the listeria outbreak that caused the death of 10. This is a separate case, however. Let's hope this is an isolated case so more families don't have to go through what the Adams family has.
