The first steps have been taken towards the filing of a wrongful death lawsuit against Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer whose unsanitary conditions may have lead to the outbreak of the H1N1 virus.  For once I smell justice in the air, and not just the stench of negligence and cesspools of manure.  The petition for the suit was started by Steven Trunnell, whose wife Judy Dominguez Trunnell was the first U.S. resident to die of the H1N1 flu, and would be the first of it’s kind to hold a corporation responsible  for the inadvertent creation of an infectious disease.

While Smithfield’s massive pig farm in Mexico was linked to the virus’ outbreak early on, the lawsuit could provide a clear indication that factory farming endangers the public by creating enormous health risks. The lawsuit will not be an easy battle as the pork industy is powerful and it may be difficult to prove that one corporation is responsible for raising the risk of the outbreak, but a great deal of evidence already exists to show that factory farm conditions serve as breeding grounds for disease.  If the petition goes through there is also a chance that the case could become a class action lawsuit, involving other H1N1 victims.  And if the lawsuit reveals that Smithfield is accountable for contributing to the spread of the virus, hopefully steps can be taken to prevent future outbreaks and deaths by putting an end to factory farming.

photo (not from a factory farm): olddanb’s flickr photostream (creative commons)