Boar’s Head Recall: Listeria Lawsuit Ongoing (Latest 2026 Updates)

Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. recalled millions of pounds of ready-to-eat deli meat in 2024. Federal investigators traced a multistate Listeria outbreak to its liverwurst and other Boar’s Head and Old Country brand products made at its Virginia plant.

The outbreak sickened dozens of people, several of them severely. It led to a wrongful-death lawsuit and other injury lawsuits. They allege Boar’s Head failed to disclose the contamination risk in its products and did not keep its plant sanitary.

A $3.1 million class-action settlement covering the recalled purchases has received final court approval and the case is closed. Individual injury and wrongful-death lawsuits over the same outbreak continue to be filed separately, and no multidistrict litigation has formed.

Latest Boar’s Head Lawsuit Updates

August 13, 2025: Court Grants Final Approval of the Settlement

The court granted final approval of the $3.1 million Pompilio class-action settlement over the 2024 Boar’s Head Listeria outbreak. The order compensates people who bought the recalled products and submitted a valid claim.

A separate order awarded $1,033,333.33 in attorneys’ fees, $38,060.33 in litigation costs, and $1,000 service awards to each class representative, then closed the case.

May 16, 2025: Settlement Claims Deadline Passes

The deadline to file a claim, opt out, or object in the Boar’s Head settlement passed on May 16, 2025 [1].

Anyone who missed it can no longer seek a refund through that fund. People who were seriously injured may still pursue an individual injury or wrongful-death claim in a separate case, since this fund only ever covered product refunds.

January 31, 2025: Court Preliminarily Approves the Settlement

The court preliminarily approved the class-action settlement the parties had signed on January 14, 2025, and scheduled a final approval hearing for August 13, 2025.

The same order let notice of the proposed settlement go out to consumers, along with instructions for submitting a claim before the deadline above. Those instructions explained how filers with and without a receipt could recover a refund.

December 16, 2024: Plaintiffs File a Consolidated Amended Complaint

The amended complaint consolidated the case behind five named plaintiffs, adding new class representatives to Frank Pompilio’s original filing in the same Southern District of New York court.

The amended complaint replaced the single-plaintiff complaint Frank Pompilio had filed weeks earlier and set up the eventual settlement class. The amendment added four plaintiffs alongside Pompilio: Rita Torres, Samantha Chuskas, Sheryl Gatoff, and Robby Harper.

November 21, 2024: CDC Declares the Outbreak Over

The CDC declared the Listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats over, with a final count of 61 illnesses across 19 states, 60 hospitalizations, and 10 deaths [2].

Illnesses were reported from late May through mid-September 2024, and the agency said the true number sickened was likely higher than what was confirmed.

October 29, 2024: Pompilio Files the Lead Class-Action Complaint

Frank Pompilio filed the lead class-action complaint against Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, opening the case that led to the settlement [3].

The complaint, case No. 7:24-cv-08220, alleged Boar’s Head failed to disclose the Listeria contamination risk in its product labeling, the claim that later became the basis for the class settlement.

October 23, 2024: Family Files Wrongful-Death Suit over Ham

The family of 79-year-old Otis Adams Jr. filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Boar’s Head, represented by the firm Morgan & Morgan. The complaint alleges his death followed eating Boar’s Head ham purchased in Florida [4].

The suit says he developed listeriosis, then meningitis and sepsis, before he died on May 5, 2024, survived by his wife, sister, three sons, seven grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

September 18, 2024: Reposa Seeks $48 Million over His Illness

Robert Reposa filed an individual injury lawsuit after becoming seriously ill from Boar’s Head deli meat [5]. The $48 million claim seeks $4.6 million in compensatory damages and more than $43.5 million in punitive damages.

He spent two weeks hospitalized, and the suit says pre-existing heart problems complicated his treatment, leading to lasting damage the complaint calls permanent.

What Is Listeria?

Listeria are bacteria that can contaminate food, and eating it can cause infection, according to CDC’s overview of Listeria infection [6].

The 2024 Boar’s Head outbreak involved this same bacterium, traced to deli meat produced at the company’s Virginia plant. The lawsuits on this page allege Boar’s Head knew or should have known about the contamination risk.

Who May Be Affected?

People who ate a recalled Boar’s Head or Old Country product may be affected. This includes anyone with a sell-by date from late July through mid-October 2024 who later developed a Listeria infection.

This especially includes the CDC’s higher-risk groups: pregnant people, newborns, adults 65 or older, and people with a weakened immune system, who face the most serious complications.

Separately, anyone who purchased a covered Boar’s Head product between May 10 and August 12, 2024, was a Settlement Class Member. The settlement fund’s claims window has already closed, so a new refund claim is no longer possible there.

Someone who became seriously ill, or who lost a family member, after eating a recalled product may have a claim worth an individual legal review.

Reported Injuries or Damages

CDC’s confirmed outbreak data lists 61 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria across 19 states, 60 of them hospitalized, and 10 deaths.

Deaths were reported in Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, and South Carolina. That tally is separate from what individual lawsuits allege.

Robert Reposa’s suit adds that his illness caused severe stomach pain, vomiting, and fever, plus the permanent cardiac complication the complaint attributes to his treatment.

The Adams family’s wrongful-death suit attributes his death to that same infection, a claim the complaint makes independently of the CDC count above.

A USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service report tied to the outbreak found inadequate sanitation practices at the Jarratt, Virginia plant [7]. These included product residue and cleaning noncompliance that may have let Listeria persist in the facility.

Recall and Regulatory Background

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service recalled about 207,528 pounds of Boar’s Head liverwurst on July 26, 2024 [8]. It expanded to about 7 million more pounds across 71 products on July 30 [9].

These items were sold nationwide at retail delis under the same establishment number. The 19-state figure above counts illnesses only.

On November 24, 2025, Boar’s Head withdrew Ambriola-supplied pecorino cheese and two EverRoast Chicken Caesar items the FDA flagged for Listeria [10].

That action was limited to Kroger stores in Kentucky and Indiana, with no illnesses reported, unrelated to the outbreak described above.

Evidence to Preserve

Anyone considering a Boar’s Head Listeria claim should keep the following evidence:

• Purchase receipts or the settlement claim records already filed with the administrator
• Product packaging showing the sell-by date and the establishment number “EST. 12612”
• Medical records confirming a Listeria diagnosis, hospitalization, and any ongoing treatment
• Photographs of the product, its packaging, and any portion that remains
• Communications with the retailer, with Boar’s Head, or with a claims administrator

Preserving this material early, especially anything tied to establishment number 12612 or a documented Listeria diagnosis, keeps the file ready if a claim follows and a lawyer needs to review it.

Filing Deadlines

Deadlines for filing a lawsuit come from state law, not from this page. They depend on where the person affected lives and on when the illness or diagnosis happened.

Some states start the clock at diagnosis rather than at exposure, and missing a deadline can end a claim even when the facts are strong.

The Boar’s Head settlement’s own claims window has already closed. Anyone weighing a legal claim over the illness should talk to a lawyer promptly.

Potential Compensation

Depending on the facts of an individual claim, categories Boar’s Head plaintiffs have sought include medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering, as in Robert Reposa’s lawsuit.

A wrongful-death claim like the Adams family’s can also seek funeral and burial costs and loss of companionship for surviving family members. The class settlement covers only product refunds and does not fund these personal-injury categories.

Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Potential compensation in a claim like Reposa’s or the Adams family’s depends on that claim’s own facts rather than a fixed schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Symptoms Does a Listeria Infection Cause?

The symptoms of a Listeria infection range from a mild, short-lived fever and diarrhea in healthy people to invasive illness such as sepsis, meningitis, or meningoencephalitis. Older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant people face the highest risk, and infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage or preterm labor.

Can I Still File a Claim in the Boar’s Head Settlement?

No, you can no longer file a new claim in the Boar’s Head settlement, since that window has closed. Anyone with a question about a claim already filed can still reach the Claim Administrator at 1-844-905-4111 or info@ColdCutRecallSettlement.com.

Was There a Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Boar’s Head?

Yes, a wrongful-death lawsuit was filed against Boar’s Head: the suit says 79-year-old Otis Adams Jr. was diagnosed with listeriosis at HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital on May 2, 2024, before he died three days later, and it names Morgan & Morgan as the family’s counsel.

What Did USDA’s Investigation Find Caused the Boar’s Head Outbreak?

USDA’s investigation found that sanitation problems at the Jarratt, Virginia plant may have contributed to the Boar’s Head outbreak. ABC News separately reported that inspectors documented 69 instances of noncompliance at the plant in the 12 months before it began.

What Types of Compensation Are Available in a Boar’s Head Injury Lawsuit?

Types of compensation available in a Boar’s Head injury lawsuit include hospital bills, missed wages, and pain and suffering. Robert Reposa’s $48 million claim shows this after his stay at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, and a fatal claim such as the Adams family’s may also include funeral costs.

Who Qualifies for the Boar’s Head Settlement Payment?

Anyone who bought Boar’s Head or Old Country deli meat during the May-to-August 2024 recall window qualified for the Boar’s Head settlement payment. Filers with a receipt could recover the full price paid. Those without one could recover the average retail price for up to two items per household.

What Should I Do If I Think Boar’s Head Deli Meat Made Me Sick?

If you think Boar’s Head deli meat made you sick, contact a healthcare provider right away, since Listeria can turn serious during pregnancy or with weak immunity. You can also call USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 and keep the packaging or receipt.

References

1. https://angeion-public.s3.amazonaws.com/www.coldcutrecallsettlement.com/docs/Long%20Form%20Notice%2003.19.pdf
2. https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/delimeats-7-24/investigation.html
3. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69321738/pompilio-v-boars-head-provisions-co-inc/
4. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wrongful-death-lawsuit-filed-boars-head-deadly-listeria/story?id=115099951
5. https://www.supermarketnews.com/recalls/boar-s-head-facing-48m-lawsuit-due-to-listeria-outbreak
6. https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/about/index.html
7. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/documents/Boars-Head-Public-Report-012025.pdf
8. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/boars-head-provisions-co–recalls-ready-eat-liverwurst-and-other-deli-meat-products
9. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/boars-head-provisions-co–expands-recall-ready-eat-meat-and-poultry-products-due
10. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/supreme-deli-llc-voluntarily-recalls-boars-head-pecorino-romano-cheese-because-possible-health-risk