To date, four lawsuits have been filed against Townsend Farms Corporation on behalf of people who contracted hepatitis A infections after eating Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend mixed berries with pomegranate seeds purchased at a Costco store. These people are part of an outbreak of hepatitis A that has sickened over 70 people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Washington.
The lawsuits seek compensation for hospital and other medical expenses, lost wages and other income, physical pain and other personal injury damages.
Three of the hepatitis A lawsuits have been filed in California and one in Arizona. “Ultimately, there will be lawsuits filed in all of the states where people were sickened,” said attorney Fred Pritzker, who is representing hepatitis A victims.
Two lawsuits against Townsend Farms have been filed in the Superior Court of California, San Diego County. One was filed on behalf of a 58-year-old woman from El Cajon, California. She bought the Townsend Farms berries at the Costco in La Mesa. She has been unable to work for a month. The other was filed on behalf of a San Diego woman. Her hep A symptoms were a headache, fatigue, and pain in her right side.
The other California lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County. Her hepatitis A symptoms included fatigue, chills, muscle and joint aches, vomiting, dark urine and yellow eyes and skin. She suffered liver inflammation and was hospitalized.
The Arizona lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Arizona on behalf of a woman from the Phoenix area. Her symptoms of hepatitis A infection including fever, chills, nausea, abdominal pains and jaundice. She continues to experience the effects of her hepatitis A infection.
Awful to hear stories of people getting sick from the products they consume and expect to be clean. Hope these lawsuits continue to set precedents for companies.