Cargill Ground Turkey Salmonella Lawsuit Filed After Recall

An Arizona man has filed a food poisoning lawsuit against Cargill, which recalled tens of millions of pounds of ground turkey last week due to salmonella contamination. 

The ground turkey salmonella poisoning lawsuit was filed by David Taber, of Maricopa County, Arizona, against Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, where Cargill is based.

The complaint claims that Taber, 38, was hospitalized for several days as a result of salmonella poisoning in June after eating contaminated Cargill ground turkey. The bacteria allegedly spread to his blood stream and caused him to suffer sepsis, from which he is still recovering.

The salmonella strain found in Taber’s bloodstream matched the strain found in recalled Cargill ground turkey, according to the lawsuit.

On August 3, a massive Cargill ground turkey recall was announced for 36 million pounds of products from the company’s Springdale, Arkansas plant. The recall came after state and federal health inspectors tracked a nationwide salmonella outbreak to the plant’s meat. About 80 illnesses in 23 states have been linked to the contaminated meat and it is suspected of causing at least one death in California.

The cause of the contamination is still under investigation, and Cargill announced on Wednesday that it was suspending ground turkey production at the Springdale plant until the source can be determined. The plant is one of four Cargill turkey production facilities in the United States. Products from the other three plants are unaffected by the recall.

Salmonella food poisoning attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing mild to severe symptoms. For most healthy adults, problems associated with food poisoning from salmonella typically resolve after a few days or weeks. However, young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems have an increased risk of suffering severe food poisoning after ingesting the bacteria. If not properly treated, some cases of salmonella food poisoning can lead to hospitalization, dehydration or death.

Taber’s product liability lawsuit accuses Cargill of strict liability for manufacturing and marketing a defective product, negligence and breach of implied warranty. Taber is seeking damages for past and future pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, physical disfigurement, lost earnings, medical expenses and court costs.