--- title: Jensen Farms Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak - Marler Clark Litigation in Missouri date: 2011-09-08T09:01:20-07:00 author: admin canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/jensen-farms-cantaloupe-listeria-outbreak-marler-clark-litigation-in-missou" section: Litigation Landing Pages --- [Foodborne Illnesses](/foodborne-illnesses) / [Listeria](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria) / # Jensen Farms Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak - Marler Clark Litigation in Missouri ## U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri *[The Estate of William Pumphrey v. Frontera Produce, Primus Labs and Dillon Companies](http://www.marlerclark.com/pdfs/PUMPHREY-Complaint.pdf "The Estate of William Pumphrey v. Frontera Produce, Primus Labs and Dillon Companies")* Mary Pumphrey filed a lawsuit alleging that her husband, 84-year-old William Pumphrey, died as a result of a Listeria infection he contracted after eating contaminated Jensen Farms cantaloupes purchased from a Dillons grocery store in Springfield, Missouri, in August and September of 2011. The lawsuit alleges that the cantaloupes were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. According to the lawsuit, Mr. Pumphrey fell ill with symptoms of Listeria infection on September 7, 2011. He was hospitalized for several weeks while receiving treatment for listeriosis, but never recovered. Mr. Pumphrey died in the hospital on September 24, 2011. A blood sample collected the day of his admission to the hospital tested positive for one of five strains of Listeria monocytogenes associated with the Jensen Farms cantaloupe outbreak. Medical expenses associated with Mr. Pumphrey’s Listeria infection totaled more than $100,000. *[The Estate of John Riffle v. Frontera Produce, Primus Labs and King Soopers](http://www.marlerclark.com/pdfs/RIFFLE-Complaint.pdf "The Estate of John Riffle v. Frontera Produce, Primus Labs and King Soopers")* Jean Riffle filed a lawsuit alleging that her husband, John Riffle, died after eating cantaloupe purchased by a family friend at a King Soopers store in Colorado Springs, Colorado in August of 2011. Mr. Riffle, who was 95 years old, ate some of the cantaloupe at his home during the friend’s visit in early September of 2011. According to the complaint, Mr. Riffle fell ill with symptoms of Listeria infection in late September. He was hospitalized in mid-October, at which point a blood specimen tested positive for one of five strains of Listeria monocytogenes associated with the Jensen Farms cantaloupe outbreak. Mr. Riffle remained in the hospital from October 14, 2011 to the date of his death, November 1, 2011. Medical expenses associated with Mr. Riffle’s illness totaled over $140,000. *[The Estate of Paul A. Schwarz v. Frontera Produce, Primus Labs, CH Robinson Worldside and First Watch Restaurants](http://www.marlerclark.com/pdfs/SCHWARZ-Complaint.pdf "The Estate of Paul A. Schwarz v. Frontera Produce, Primus Labs, CH Robinson Worldside and First Watch Restaurants")* A lawsuit filed by the family of Paul A. Schwarz alleges that 92-year-old Mr. Schwarz consumed cut Jensen Farms cantaloupe at the First Watch restaurant in Prairie Village, Kansas, on multiple occasions. The cantaloupe was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and caused Mr. Schwarz to fall ill with listeriosis, the illness caused by the ingestion of Listeria bacteria. According to the compliant, Mr. Schwarz first fell ill with symptoms of Listeria infection on September 15, 2011. He was treated at the hospital for abdominal pain and released, but his symptoms continued to worsen and on September 18 he was taken to the hospital by ambulance and was admitted for treatment. While hospitalized, Mr. Schwarz tested positive for one of five strains of Listeria monocytogenes associated with the Jensen Farms cantaloupe outbreak. Over the next two months, Mr. Schwarz was treated for complications of listeriosis, but he was unable to recover. Mr. Schwarz died in the hospital, in hospice care, on December 18, 2011. The cost of medical treatment associated with his Listeria infection exceeded $180,000. *[West v. Frontera Produce, Primus Labs and CH Robinson Worldwide](http://www.marlerclark.com/pdfs/WEST-Complaint.pdf "West v. Frontera Produce, Primus Labs and CH Robinson Worldwide")* Alberta West alleges in a lawsuit that she fell ill with a Listeria infection after eating contaminated Jensen Farms cantaloupe purchased from a Price Chopper store in Independence, Missouri. According to the complaint, Ms. West fell ill with symptoms of Listeria infection on October 21, 2011. She was transported to the hospital on October 22, and was hospitalized for treatment of listeriosis until November 1, 2011. Despite being discharged from the hospital, Ms. West has never fully recovered from the effects of her illness. Medical expenses associated with the treatment of Ms. West’s Listeria infection exceeded $145,000. ### Listeria outbreaks and recalls August 23, 2023 ###### [Listeria outbreak: Three die after drinking contaminated milkshakes](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/listeria-outbreak-three-die-after-drinking-contaminated-milkshakes) Three people have died, and three others are in hospital after drinking milkshakes contaminated with listeria bacteria in the US state of Washington, health officials … July 12, 2023 ###### [2011 Listeria outbreaks linked to cantaloupes: A history](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/2011-listeria-outbreak-linked-to-cantaloupes-a-history) A total of 148 persons infected with any of the five outbreak-associated strains of Listeria monocytogenes were reported to the CDC from 28 states. The … May 20, 2023 ###### [A quick look at the 2018 Hepatitis A outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/a-quick-look-at-the-2018-hepatitis-a-outbreak) Litigation proceeded in a Virginia state court against Tropical Smoothie and the strawberry supply chain. 134 people with Hepatitis A were reported from nine states … [1. View all ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) ## All Listeria Resources [###### Listeria Food Poisoning ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/about-listeria) [###### The Incidence of Listeria Infections ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/the-incidence-of-listeria-infections) [###### The Prevalence of Listeria in Food and the Environment ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/listeria-prevalence) [###### Transmission of and Infection with Listeria ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/transmission-of-and-infection-with-listeria) [###### Who is Most at Risk of Becoming Ill with Listeria? ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/who-is-most-at-risk-for-becoming-ill-with-listeria) [###### What Are the Symptoms of Listeria Infection? ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/listeria-symptoms-risks) [###### Complications of Listeria Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/complications-of-listeria-infection) [###### How is Listeria Infection Diagnosed? ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/listeria-diagnosis) [###### Treatment for Listeria Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/listeria-treatment) [###### Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/antimicrobial-resistance-in-bacteria) [###### The Economic Impact of Listeria Infections ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/the-economic-impact-of-listeria-infections) [###### Preventing Listeria Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/listeria-prevention) [###### Listeria References ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/listeria-references) ### Other foodborne illnesses [E. coli](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli) [Salmonella](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella) [Listeria](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria) [Hepatitis A](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/hepatitis-a) [Reactive Arthritis](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/reactive-arthritis) [Guillain-Barre Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/guillain-barre-syndrome) [Irritable Bowel Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/irritable-bowel-syndrome) [Norovirus](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus) [Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism) [Campylobacter](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter) [Shigella](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella) [Cyclospora](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/cyclospora) [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/hemolytic-uremic-syndrome)