The Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt that started a deadly nationwide listeria outbreak will close indefinitely, impacting 500 workers, a worker’s union official said.
“It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees. We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers,” the company wrote on its website. “But, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course.”
The plant, just north of Emporia, closed temporarily at the end of July. That’s when people in 18 states started reporting symptoms related to listeria. Since then, nine people have died, including one man from Newport News.
According to the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 400, members will have the option to transfer to other Boar’s Head facilities or accept severance packages.
“Everyone agrees this unprecedented tragedy was not the fault of the workforce, so it is especially unfortunate that the Jarratt plant must close indefinitely and put so many men and women out of work,” the union said in a statement.
“We appreciate the extraordinary efforts Boar’s Head has made to keep our members on the job as long as possible and to ensure everyone is taken care of during this process.”
Issues at the Virginia Boar’s Head plant started earlier this summer when a package of liverwurst tested positive for listeria.
The company has faced several lawsuits from people who fell ill since then, including some in Hampton Roads.
Just before the company announced it would close the Jarratt plant, two Hampton Roads residents filed lawsuits against Boar’s Head after being hospitalized for illnesses they attribute to the outbreak.
The suits total $59 million.
Robert Reposa of Smithfield went to urgent care in early August with stomach pain, vomiting, fever, chills and “extreme diarrhea,” his lawsuit states. He was sent home and the next week when his symptoms hadn’t subsided, went to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and ultimately transferred to the Sentara Heart Hospital. There, he was determined to have listeria.
Reposa had previous heart issues, his lawsuit states, making his exposure to the bacteria “extraordinarily dangerous” and required a 14-day hospital stay.
He is asking for $48 million.
Barbara Schmidt of Williamsburg is suing Boar’s Head for $11 million after getting sick from eating Boar’s Head liverwurst.
She reported vomiting, fever, fatigue, headache, chills and confusion in mid-July and went to the emergency room, where she was admitted for three days.
Schmidt was able to return home for one day before going back to the hospital with a 104-degree fever and spent nine more days in the hospital, including six days in the intensive care unit.
Her lawsuit is suing Boar’s Head for negligence, breach of express warranty, two counts of breach of implied warranty, negligence per se, fraudulent concealment and a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
Schmidt and her lawyer requested a jury trial.
The family of 88-year-old Gunter Morgenstein of Newport News, who claims he died as a result of the outbreak, already filed a $10 million lawsuit against Boar’s Head.
