Source of illness traced to Adams Farm Slaughterhouse in Athol, Mass; product from Adams linked to multistate outbreak and recall

A lawsuit will be brought against Adams Farm Slaughterhouse, LLC (“Adams”) and Eva’s Farm Organic Butcher Shop, LLC (“Eva’s”) on behalf of Anne Boldys, a Brookline, Massachusetts resident, who contracted E. coli O157:H7 from contaminated ground beef distributed by the defendants. Adams and Eva’s are headquartered in Athol and Middleton, Massachusetts, respectively. Boldys is represented by Underberg & Kessler LLP of Rochester, NY and food safety law firm Marler Clark of Seattle, Washington.

Anne Boldys’ illness stemmed from ground beef purchased by her parents, Walter and Pat, from Eva’s on or about August 27. Eva’s manufactured and sold the ground beef, which was supplied by Adams.

Anne ate the ground beef on the day of purchase or the day after and, by September 2, was suffering with symptoms that included nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Her illness progressed to the point that she required hospitalization at the North Shore Medical center in Salem, Massachusetts from September 4 through September 8. She continues to slowly recover from her injuries.

“E. coli O157:H7 has a long and public history of being one of the most dangerous foodborne pathogens that can affect human health. Its victims often suffer for years after initial symptoms have faded. It’s a disgrace that, even with so many safeguards in place today, there are still outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 in our food supply,” said Bill Marler, partner at Marler Clark. Marler is a longtime food safety advocate who has been representing victims of E. coli for over 20 years, beginning his career representing those made sickest during the 1993 outbreak traced back to the fast food chain Jack in the Box.

The Brookline Department of Public Health confirmed that Anne’s illness was a result of E. coli O157:H7 poisoning linked to a multistate outbreak and recall of beef, veal, and bison products from Adams. Seven people in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and West Virginia have become ill; five have required hospitalization for various symptoms related to their illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection are investigating.

“Folks should expect that the food they purchase at the market—whether it be fruits, greens, grains, dairy, or meat—is free of potentially lethal toxins. The food we buy should always be, at a minimum, safe to eat,” said Paul Nunes, partner at Underberg & Kessler LLP. “Quite frankly, Annie Boldys is lucky to have survived her experience.”

Meat from Adams was shipped to farmers’ markets, retail locations, including Eva’s, and restaurants in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and eastern New York. These products may have also been further distributed to neighboring states.

About Marler Clark

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of E. coli outbreaks and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The E. coli lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of E. coli and other foodborne illness infections and have recovered over $600 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our E. coli lawyers have litigated E. coli and HUS cases stemming from outbreaks traced to ground beef, raw milk, lettuce, spinach, sprouts, and other food products.  The law firm has brought E. coli lawsuits against such companies as Jack in the Box, Dole, ConAgra, Cargill, and Jimmy John’s.  We have proudly represented such victims as Brianne Kiner, Stephanie Smith and Linda Rivera.

About Underberg & Kessler LLP

Underberg & Kessler LLP has worked together with the Marler Clark firm for nearly 15 years on the prosecution of food-borne illness cases, including E. coli, salmonella and listeria cases.   Underberg & Kessler LLP and Marler Clark were two of the three  lead firms which successfully prosecuted  the class action  of 2500+ children and their families against the State of New York for the cryptosporidium outbreak at the state-run water park in Geneva, New York.    Partner Paul V. Nunes has perennially been recognized as a New York Best Lawyer for both plaintiff and defense work, as well as a Super Lawyer.