Beef Products, Tyson Fresh Meats Face Lawsuit in E. coli Death

STEARNS COUNTY, Minn. Beef Products, Inc., JBS USA, LLC and Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. are among several defendants in a lawsuit filed by the brother of a Minnesota man with Down syndrome who died after he was infected with a strain of E. coli from contaminated ground beef.

William Danell filed the complaint in a Minnesota state court on behalf of his late brother Robert, who was living in a group home prior to being hospitalized. 

The 62-year-old Robert Danell suffered gastrointestinal problems after eating contaminated ground beef, according to the complaint. He died on Jan. 19, 2010.

The lawsuit blames his death on an E. coli 0157: H7 infection that affected 25 people in 17 states.

The plaintiff's lawyers, Minnesota attorney Joseph Flynn and the Seattle-based firm Marler Clark, LLP, assert various causes of action against the defendants, including strict liability, breach of warranty, negligence and negligence per se.

BPI representatives told The New York Daily News that the complaint "lacks merit".

Other defendants named in the lawsuit include Upper Lakes Food, Inc., J&B Wholesale Distributing, Inc., Coborn's Inc. and John Doe Manufacturers and Distributors 1-10.