Maple Leaf Foods Class Action

Maple Leaf Foods Class Action

September 18, 2008 - Tony Merchant today condemned comments made by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz at the height of the Listeria outbreak, stating: "Minister Ritz is responsible for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and made very insensitive comments. The families we represent will be very offended. These comments by the Minister raise new questions about whether the federal government reacted properly to the Listeria outbreak and realized the devastating consequences of this tragedy."

August 25, 2008 - Merchant Law Group has launched numerous lawsuits against Maple Leaf Foods for individuals and families affected by the recent contamination of meat products, which has led to various cases of listeriosis.

Symptoms of listeriosis can include nausea, vomiting, cramps and fever. If you are concerned you are experiencing symptoms of listeriosis, we recommend you contact a medical doctor without delay.

As reported by national newspapers, television, radio, and local media, Merchant Law Group filed the first class action lawsuits in Canada on behalf of listeriosis victims and recalled meat purchasers.

Our law firm has launched class action lawsuits in various provinces across Canada concerning the listeria outbreak, which has caused at least 20 deaths and numerous cases of serious illness by people who have ingested contaminated meat and other products.

Our class action lawsuits seek compensation for all Canadians affected by the recalls including:

families of listeria victims,
people who have been sick or continue to suffer from listeria related illnesses,
people who are worried they may have eaten contaminated recall meat products and fear they may become ill due to listeria
individual purchasers and business purchasers of recalled producers,
any persons or businesses who have incurred medical expenses, loss of employment or business income, and
any other persons or businesses who have been harmed or suffered losses as a result of the listeria outbreak caused by Maple Leaf Foods.

Maple Leaf Foods has recalled hundreds of brands of packaged meat products, including sliced cooked turkey breast, roast beef and salami. To see a list of the recalled brands, please consult the link at the bottom of this page.

All Canadian residents who have purchased recall Maple Leaf Foods products or experience listeriosis symptoms are eligible to join this class action case. Please note, filling out the form below creates no financial obligation for you. This class action litigation is currently being pursued before various Courts and remains open for new claimants who wish to seek compensation to join, and we encourage new individuals to complete the form below for further updates.

[Information français] POUR LE SERVICE EN FRANÇAIS AU SUJET DE CE RECOURS COLLECTIF (OU D'AUTRE RECOURS POTENTIEL), S.V.P. CONTACTER NOTRE BUREAU DE MONTRÉAL: MONTREAL@MERCHANTLAW.COM.

Merchant Law Group LLP has 12 offices across Canada, with lawyers practising law in six Canadian provinces and an American state. Please note, filling out the form below creates no financial obligation for you.

Tony Merchant, Q.C., and our firm is well known for their involvement in Mass & Class Action cases in Canada, including class proceedings regarding Complete Contact Lens Solution, Silicon Breast Implant, Winners/HomeSense, HSBC Mutual Funds, Various Cellular Phone Fees, Molson-Coors Merger, Conrad Black/Hollinger, GM Gasket Manifolds, Lead Paint in Toys (and similar consumer products), Menu Foods, Paxil, Vioxx, Agent Orange, Métis Veteran Benefits, Cryptosporidium Water, Sony, Residential School litigation, CPR Anhydrous Ammonia, and cases regarding ISM Information Security, Tundra noxious gas emissions, Zonolite, Canadian Wheat Board Pool transfers, and various other cases. Tony Merchant is known to be one of Canada’s most active litigators with more than 600 reported cases in leading Caselaw Journals, having argued thousands of cases before the Canadian and American Courts, in Trial and Administrative Courts, and the Courts of Appeal of various American and Canadian jurisdictions, the Federal Court of Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada. Tony Merchant, Q.C., has a long history of pursuing public policy cases and was an elected Member of the Legislative Assembly (M.L.A.).

IF YOU WISH TO JOIN THIS CLASS ACTION OR TO SIMPLY GET MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE COMPLETE THE BELOW FORM. (Please note, providing your information creates no financial obligation for you. You are not charged any fee or cost for joining this class action - we are simply paid a contingency fee from the compensation recovered, if successful.) If you are a business or franchise store owner click here.

*	First name:
*	Last name:
	Email address:
	Confirm Email address:
*	Address:
*	City:
*	State/Prov:
*	Country:
*	Zip/Postal Code:
*	Home phone	--
	Business phone:	--
	Cell phone	--

	Do you suspect you may have purchased any of the recalled products?	Yes No
	Do you suspect you may have used or ate any of the recalled products?	Yes No
	Please describe symptoms you have experienced, if any ?
	Other Comments

[IF YOU ARE A BUSINESS OR FRANCHISE STORE OWNER CLICK HERE]

The federal government has established a listeria recall information website at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2008/list97be.shtml, which provides a complete list of the various products that have been recalled. We suggest that you consult the same website if you have any questions regarding meat products in your possession that may have been recalled.

One way to tell if meat products are on the recall list is to look for the Establishment number - look for a stamp that reads "Est. 97B" to determine if it is recalled meat from the Bartor Road Maple Leaf Foods facility. When in doubt about any meat product, we suggest you attempt to return it for a refund or throw it out. Any suspect products should be returned to the point of purchase for a full refund.

Listeria monocytogenes (commonly called Listeria) is a bacteria that may cause a potentially fatal infection called listeriosis. Listeria can have an incubation period of anywhere from a few days to three months. This means that a person might be carrying the bacteria, but might not display symptoms immediately. This infection is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, the elderly and individuals with weakened immune systems. In adults, particularly the elderly or those with compromised immune systems, the disease can lead to brain infection (meningitis), blood infection (septicemia), lung infection (pneumonia), heart infection (endocarditis) and even death. For more information on Listeria, please see the Health Canada website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/listeria-eng.php.

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