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An Illinois jury awarded a Pennsylvania woman more than $7 million in a lawsuit against Illinois-based Conagra Brands.
The jury in Cook County, Illinois, district court on Monday awarded plaintiff Tammy Reese $3.1 million in compensatory damages and $4 million in punitive damages, according to court documents.
According to Reese, she suffered burns to her face, forearms and hands in 2017. She said this happened while she was working in a kitchen in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.
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In a statement, a Conagra spokesperson said the can in question is no longer in production and the company stands by its products, which are safe and effective when used correctly and as intended. The company said it was reviewing its options, including appealing.
In this photo illustration, a Conagra Brands logo is seen on a smartphone and a PC screen. (Photo illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) (Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Reese, who filed her lawsuit in 2019, alleged that the can of Swell brand cooking spray had a defective vent mechanism at the base that emitted highly flammable chemicals into the air and ignited. She was the first of 61 different plaintiffs to file 56 separate lawsuits against the food stamp giant.
| ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAG | CONAGRA BRANDS INC. | 26.98 | -0.03 | -0.11% |
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Reese’s lawsuit is one of more than 50 lawsuits in state and federal courts across the country that plaintiff firms Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder and Meyers & Flowers say have filed over cans sold under PAM and other brands. The companies said it was the first ruling in any of their cases, which were not consolidated and were moving forward individually.
Judge gavel. (iStock / iStock)
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Pete Flowers of Flowers & Meyers told Portal that several more trials are planned in state and federal courts next year.
The case is Reese v. Conagra Brands et al., case number 2019L005068 in the District Court of Cook County.
Portal contributed to this report.