Listeria Lawyer

Unlike Salmonella or E. coli, where most patients recover at home within a week, Listeria monocytogenes attacks the most vulnerable. The CDC estimates approximately 1,600 Americans contract invasive listeriosis each year. According to the FDA, 94% require hospitalization, and roughly 260 die, giving Listeria the highest case fatality rate of any common foodborne pathogen at 20 to 30%. It is the fourth leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States.

Pregnant women are 18 times more likely to contract listeriosis than healthy adults, and according to the CDC, 1 in 4 who become infected lose their pregnancy or their baby shortly after birth. Adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems account for the vast majority of remaining cases. The infection often progresses to meningitis or septicemia before the source is identified, because Listeria has an unusually long incubation period: 1 to 4 weeks for most people, and up to 67 days in pregnancy. That delay makes identifying the contaminated food more difficult and legal representation more critical.

Ron Simon & Associates has represented Listeria victims in some of the most significant outbreaks in recent American history. Our Listeria outbreak lawyers filed the nation’s first wrongful death lawsuit in the 2024 Boar’s Head deli meats outbreak, the largest Listeria outbreak in over a decade, with 61 confirmed cases and 10 deaths across 19 states. We reached the first Listeria settlement with Boar’s Head in December 2024.

We also represented victims in the Jensen Farms cantaloupe outbreak of 2011, which caused 33 deaths across 28 states and was the deadliest foodborne outbreak tracked by the CDC at the time. And we represented hospitalized children in the Blue Bell ice cream contamination, which resulted in a $17.25 million criminal penalty, the largest in food safety history. We are also investigating claims from the supplement shakes outbreak, where contaminated protein drinks distributed to nursing homes and care facilities caused 14 deaths across 21 states over a span of nearly seven years before the source was identified.

Listeria contamination cases carry strong legal foundations. The USDA maintains a zero-tolerance policy for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat meat and poultry, meaning any detection triggers a mandatory recall and creates a documented evidence trail for litigation. When federal inspectors investigated the Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia, they found 69 regulatory violations including mold, insects, blood pooling, and liquid dripping from ceilings onto uncovered product. The plant was permanently closed. In the Blue Bell case, the company knew about contamination but removed stock without issuing a recall or informing consumers, leading to criminal charges against its former CEO.

With over $850 million recovered for food poisoning victims and more than 55 years of combined experience dedicated exclusively to foodborne illness litigation, our Listeria law firm has the resources, the regulatory knowledge, and the courtroom record these cases demand. Contact our Listeria attorneys today for a free case evaluation. You pay us nothing unless we recover compensation for you.