Swine Flu Wrongful Death Suit
The husband of the first American to die from swine flu is exploring a potential wrongful death suit against Smithfield Foods.
The petition for discovery filed in Brownsville, Texas alleges sanitary conditions at the company’s La Gloria, Mexico hog farm contributed to Judy Trunnell catching swine flu. The petition further claims that the farm, reportedly home to over a million pigs, would not meet health standards set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Texas state health officials said at the time that Judy Trunnell was suffering “underlying health conditions,” but Steven Trunnell claims his wife was in good health before she contracted the flu. She was eight months pregnant when she was hospitalized April 19 for the illness and delivered her baby by C-section. She died May 5.
