Florida woman sues Boar’s Head, Publix over husband’s listeria death

A Hernando County woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Sarasota-based Boar’s Head and Lakeland-headquartered Publix after her husband died following a listeriosis diagnosis. Judith Adams alleges negligence on the part of both the deli meat manufacturer and the supermarket for distributing meat contaminated with listeria.

Judith Adams purchased Boar’s Head tavern ham at the Brooksville Publix twice in April, which her husband, Otis Adams, 79, consumed before he became ill at the end of the month with symptoms like weakness, diarrhea, fatigue and a fever, the lawsuit says.

As his illness became worse, Judith Adams contacted her husband's cardiologist, fearing it had something to do with his heart condition, and was told on May 2 to go to the hospital, where he was subsequently diagnosed with listeriosis, the suit says. His sickness progressed and infected his blood, giving him meningitis and sepsis, causing kidney failure, according to the lawsuit, which states Otis Adams died on May 5.