Tiger Brands has agreed to cover medical costs for victims of the 2017-2018 listeriosis outbreak. In an announcement on Wednesday, the company stated that it is in discussions with attorneys representing more than 1,100 affected individuals to ensure that those with urgent medical needs receive the necessary support. Tiger Brands emphasised its commitment to helping those impacted by the outbreak, which resulted in over 1,000 confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths.
People became infected with Listeria monocytogenes after consuming contaminated polony, a ready-to-eat meat product produced by Enterprise Foods, a division of Tiger Brands. The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) identified the Enterprise Foods facility in Polokwane as the outbreak’s source.
Since the appeals court ruling in February 2022, pre-trial preparations for the class action have been ongoing, including gathering relevant documents and records. Once these steps are complete, the court will set a trial date. The trial’s first phase will focus on establishing liability, and if Tiger Brands is found liable, the second phase will address damages.
In January 2023, attorneys representing Tiger Brands and its insurers and the plaintiffs’ legal team from Richard Spoor Inc. requested access to key records from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) related to the listeriosis outbreak. By January 2024, the NICD provided some of this data to the plaintiffs, and a month later, the files were shared with Tiger Brands’ attorneys for expert review. This data analysis is in an advanced stage but is still ongoing.
Tiger Brands has stated that its legal team is also working on ways to speed up the resolution of the class action. “The company is committed to working diligently to bring the listeriosis class action to a close as speedily as possible,” said Tiger Brands.
Richard Spoor Inc. responded to Tiger Brands’ statement: “These engagements are part of an ongoing process we initiated with Tiger Brands’ attorneys from the inception of this litigation in March 2018. While these engagements are important in the overall effort to obtain relief for the victims of the 2017-2018 listeriosis outbreak, no compensation for any person has been agreed to or received at this stage,” the statement stated.
Disclaimer: Our sister company, explain agency, has consulted on communications with Richard Spoor Inc on the listeriosis case.
