Lawsuit Alleges Contaminated Dole Salad Led to Coma

A woman has filed a lawsuit alleging Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. sold
salad mixes contaminated with Listeria. Georgostathis v. Dole Fresh
Vegetables, Inc., No. 16-0360 (S.D. Ohio, filed March 7, 2016). The
woman asserts that after her mother ate the salad mix, she became
infected with Listeria and felt extreme head and neck pain that ultimately
caused her to become comatose. The complaint argues that the
strain of Listeria in the plaintiff’s salad mix is “indistinguishable from
the strain involved in the recent Listeria outbreak linked to Dole salad
products produced at the Springfield, Ohio processing facility.” The
outbreak has reportedly sickened nearly 30 people in the United States
and Canada who were all hospitalized as a result of contracting Listeria.
The plaintiff, who is represented by foodborne-illness attorney Bill
Marler, seeks damages and attorney’s fees for allegations of negligence,
product liability and violations of Ohio consumer-protection law and the
Uniform Commercial Code.

Issue 597