Litigation Update: September 24, 2007

All cases around the country related to the peanut butter Salmonella outbreak have, for the moment, been consolidated in the United States District Court in Atlanta, Georgia. The courts have determined that all these cases should be handled in one place, by one judge, in order to keep all proceedings consistent and to avoid duplication of effort by all parties.

The court in Georgia held its first status conference on September 5, 2007, with attorneys for all parties involved in the litigation present. The court’s primary focus at this time was to try and get the parties and litigation organized, so its decisions addressed those kinds of issues. Initially, the court appointed the lead attorneys for both the plaintiffs and the defendants; it will be their job in part to make sure that everyone receives proper notice of all court proceedings. The court also directed the parties to work together to develop a Case Management Order, which is essentially a schedule of deadlines for the parties to obtain information and documents from each other, to identify experts, and to present motions to the court. Finally, the court indicated it will schedule its next status conference in approximately one month.

The court did not address any major factual or legal issues at this time. The court instead tried to develop a process by which these thousands of claims will hopefully be handled and resolved efficiently over time.

We will continue to keep our clients advised as to the general proceedings in this case. We will also continue to gather the necessary information and records related to our clients' individual claims.

If you believe you are part of the Salmonella outbreak that was traced to Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter, please see the "What to do" page for more information about how to pursue a legal claim.