--- title: "Dallas County Listeria Death Leads to Lawsuit Against Cantaloupe Producer, Distributor" date: 2011-10-31T14:26:00-07:00 author: admin canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/dallas-county-listeria-death-leads-to-lawsuit-against-cantaloupe-producer-d" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Press Releases](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/press-releases) / # Dallas County Listeria Death Leads to Lawsuit Against Cantaloupe Producer, Distributor DALLAS –The [Listeria attorneys at Marler Clark](http://www.marlerclark.com/listeria-cantaloupe-lawyer-colorado-texas-nebraska/ "Listeria attorneys at Marler Clark"), the nation’s foremost law firm dedicated to representing victims of foodborne illness and Dallas-based law firm Reyes Brown Reilley have filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family of a Dallas woman who died from a Listeria illness. This is the eighth lawsuit \[1\] filed by Marler Clark in a multi-state Listeria outbreak linked to Rocky Ford cantaloupe. The defendants in the lawsuit are Colorado-based cantaloupe producer Jensen Farms and Edinburg Texas-based distributor Frontera Produce. According to complaint #DC11-13866 filed in Dallas County District Court, 89-year-old Marie Jones regularly purchased and consumed cantaloupe in the weeks prior to her illness. By the weekend of September 10, Ms. Jones developed signs of a Listeria infection, including a severe headache and gastrointestinal symptoms, which worsened over the ensuing days. Late on September 12, she was admitted to Baylor University Medical Center and transferred to the intensive care unit where it was determined that her illness was caused by a Listeria infection and was affecting her entire body. Over the next ten days Ms. Jones’ condition worsened until she ultimately succumbed to her illness on September 23. The complaint further states that the Dallas County Health Department confirmed the strain that caused Ms. Jones’ Listeria illness was the same as the one implicated in the multi-state Listeria outbreak linked to the defendants’ products. “In this day and age, people should not be hospitalized or die because of something they ate,” said Marler Clark [Listeria lawyer William Marler](http://www.marlerclark.com/lawyers/view/william-marler "Listeria lawyer William Marler"). “Food producers and distributors have a responsibility to consumers to sell food that is unadulterated and free of foodborne pathogens such as Listeria – no exceptions.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed 133 illnesses and 28 deaths in a multi-state Listeria outbreak that has been linked to Colorado-based Jensen Farms. In September, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) used trace back investigations to link the farm to the outbreak, and on October 19 the connection was confirmed when the FDA released a report detailing unsanitary conditions and traces of Listeria at Jensen Farms’ cantaloupe packing facility. MARLER CLARK is the nation’s leading law firm dedicated to representing victims of foodborne illness. The firm’s [food poisoning lawyers have unmatched experience ](http://www.marlerclark.com/practice_areas/category/C94 "food poisoning lawyers have unmatched experience ")and have recovered over $600,000,000 for their clients, including a 2011 [$1.1 million Listeria judgment on behalf of the family of Texas man](http://www.marlerclark.com/media_relations/view/1.1-million-awarded-in-listeria-death-lawsuit "$1.1 million Listeria judgment on behalf of the family of Texas man"). For more information or, if you are a member of the media and would like a copy of the complaint, please contact Cody Moore at cmoore@marlerclark.com or 206-407-2200. ### Other Listeria Lawsuits [Kroger and Walmart Pasta Listeria Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/kroger-and-walmart-pasta-listeria-outbreak) [Listeria Outbreak linked to Kroger and Walmart Chicken Fettuccine](https://marlerclark.com/listeria-outbreak-linked-to-kroger-and-walmart-chicken-fettuccine) [Fresh & Ready Foods linked to California and Nevada Listeria Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/fresh-ready-foods-linked-to-california-and-nevida-listeria-outbreak) [14 Listeria Deaths tied to Lyons ReadyCare or Sysco Shakes](https://marlerclark.com/11-listeria-deaths-tied-to-lyons-readycare-or-sysco) [Boar's Head Deli Meat Sickens 61 in 19 States with Deadly Listeria - 10 deaths](https://marlerclark.com/deli-meat-hits-28-in-12-states-with-deadly-listeria) [Rizo-López Foods recalls cheese after deadly Listeria 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The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [Listeria Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/about-listeria) What is Listeria and how does it cause food poisoning? Listeria is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium that is ubiquitous and can grow under either anaerobic (without oxygen) or aerobic (with... ###### [The Incidence of Listeria Infections](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/the-incidence-of-listeria-infections) How common are Listeria infections? Listeria bacteria are found widely in the environment in soil, including in decaying vegetation and water, and may be part of the fecal flora of... ###### [The Prevalence of Listeria in Food and the Environment](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/listeria-prevalence) Listeria bacteria are common in nature. Listeria monocytogenes is omnipresent in nature; it is found widely in such places as water, soil, infected animals, human and animal feces, raw and... ###### [Transmission of and Infection with Listeria](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/transmission-of-and-infection-with-listeria) Listeria typically spreads to people through contaminated food or water, but can also be transmitted from mother to fetus. Except for the transmission of mother to fetus, human-to-human transmission of... ###### [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) The elderly, pregnant women, and anyone immunocompromised is most at risk for contracting Listeria. Several segments of the population are at increased risk and need to be informed so that... ##### Outbreak Database #### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)