Family Dollar Stores in Arkansas Rodent Infestation Class Action

The complaint for this class action brings suit against Family Dollar Stores of Arkansas, LLC and Family Dollar Services, LLC, alleging that the goods in certain Family Dollar Stores are contaminated because of a rodent infestation and other unsanitary conditions at a Family Dollar regional distribution center.

The class for this action is all persons who were or are citizen of Arkansas who, between January 1, 2021 and February 18, 2022, bought one of the contaminated products for household or business use from one of the affected Family Dollar stores in Arkansas.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a news release on February 18, 2022 about potentially contaminated products from certain Family Dollar Stores. The complaint alleges that an FDA inspection of a West Memphis Distribution Center “found insanitary conditions, including a rodent infestation, that could cause many of the products stored there to become contaminated.”

The distribution center held goods to be distributed to stores in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.

According to the complaint, Robert Bradford, an employee in the distribution center, had posted videos and photos online in January 2022 showing rats in the building. Bradford, the complaint alleges, said that rates were everywhere: “There are sixty-one aisles in the warehouse; you are going to see them from one to sixty-one. They are running around. They are on the floor, and they are in boxes.”

Bradford, the complaint says, was fired, but some of the videos and photos were obtained by a local news station. After a consumer complaint, the FDA began its investigation.

The complaint quotes the FDA inspection report as saying, “Conditions observed during the inspection included live rodents, dead rodents in various states of decay, rodent feces and urine, evidence of gnawing, nesting and rodent odors throughout the facility dead birds and bird droppings, and products stored in conditions that did not protect against contamination.”

After a January 2022 fumigation, the report also says, “[m]ore than 1,100 dead rodents were recovered” and internal records showed “the collection of more than 2,300 rodents between March 29, 2021 and September 2021…” The complaint alleges that Family Dollar knew about the rat infestation since at least September 2021 and did not recall the contaminated products.

The complaint alleges that the FDA pointed out hazards associated with rodents, such a the risk of exposure to Salmonella, “an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal complications in infants, young children, frail or elderly people, pregnant persons, persons with pre-existent pathology … and others with weakened immune systems.” Even normally health people can have fever, diarrhea, nausea, and other problems from Salmonella.

Because of the unsanitary conditions, the FDA declared FDA-regulated goods sold at the Family Dollar stores served by the distribution center are not fit for human consumption.

After that, Family Dollar issued a “voluntary recall,” the complaint claims, and temporarily closed 404 stores.

Article Type: Lawsuit
Topic: Consumer
Tags: Contaminated with Harmful Substances, Contamination During Preparation or Use, Rodent Infestation