Meat Processor BrucePac Faces Wrongful Death Lawsuit Following Listeria Recall
Oregon-based meat processor BrucePac is facing a wrongful death lawsuit filed by an Indiana woman whose 12-year-old daughter, Iyhari Weddle, reportedly died of listeriosis after consuming one of the company’s recalled products.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in Indiana federal court, marking the first such legal challenge following BrucePac’s massive recall of nearly 12 million pounds of food in October.
The recall was initiated after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service detected listeria bacteria in a sample of BrucePac’s ready-to-eat chicken.
The affected products, made at the company’s Durant, Oklahoma plant between May 31 and Oct. 8, were distributed by retailers such as Trader Joe’s, 7Eleven, and Wegmans.
Shantria Weddle, the plaintiff, alleges her daughter contracted the infection after eating a pre-cooked chicken Alfredo meal purchased from a Walmart store. Both Shantria and Iyhari fell ill, but the lawsuit notes that Iyhari’s underlying medical condition may have heightened her vulnerability to the infection. The suit seeks unspecified damages.
Jason Reese, attorney for the Weddle family, stated, “Make your food safe, or pay the price,” emphasizing the need for accountability in the food processing industry.
BrucePac has yet to comment on the allegations. Meanwhile, the company is also contending with a proposed class-action lawsuit in Pennsylvania, where consumers claim they would not have purchased the products had they known about the contamination risks.
Although the USDA has not reported other illnesses or deaths linked to the recall, the lawsuits underscore growing scrutiny of food safety protocols in the ready-to-eat meat industry.
The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana under case number 1:24-cv-01990, could set a significant precedent for future foodborne illness litigation.
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