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Lawsuits over E. coli spinach deaths settled

The families of three octogenarian women whose deaths were linked to last year’s E. coli outbreak from tainted spinach have settled wrongful death lawsuits against companies that brought the produce to market, according to Scientific American.

Terms of the settlements between the families and the three companies that grew, handled and sold the tainted California spinach are confidential, said lawyer William Marler, whose Seattle-based law firm represented the families.

"We have nearly 90 other cases that are still pending against the three companies," Marler added, referring to Mission Organics, Natural Selection Foods and Dole Food Co.

Natural Selection Foods spokeswoman Samantha Cabaluna said: "We are hopeful that these settlements bring some closure. Everyone at Natural Selection Foods remains deeply saddened by the human toll of the outbreak," Cabaluna said. "As we said we would do from the beginning we tried to work as honestly, fairly and expeditiously as possible to resolve the cases."

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