Back in September, more than 100 people became ill -- and some even died -- after eating listeria tainted cantaloupe that came from a Colorado grower. Now, a wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against the grower, Jensen Farms, and the distributor, Frontera Produce. The lawsuit was filed by the son of a 92-year-old man who died after eating the melon.

Originally, a lawsuit was filed in October when the man became ill with listeriosis, which is a bacterial infection. After eating the cantaloupe, he stayed in a hospital for five weeks. However, last month he died while living in a nursing home, and the lawsuit has since been amended.

The claim is that the Colorado-based grower, and distributor, should be held liable because the cantaloupe allegedly led to the man's death.

The 92-year-old was also just one of many who either became sick with listeriosis, or even died, after eating the tainted cantaloupe. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were a total of 146 cases of listeriosis tied to the cantaloupe. A total of 30 people also died, and one woman had a miscarriage. However, it should be noted that these CDC numbers were compiled before the 92-year-old's death.

The tainted cantaloupe also traveled far and wide, with strains reported in 28 states. Colorado had the most reported outbreaks, with 40 people being infected with strains of listeria after eating the fruit.

Overall, when looking at this case, it is surely devastating for the man's son to even think about the pain and suffering that his father most likely went through after eating the contaminated cantaloupe. And while filing a wrongful death lawsuit cannot bring the man back, it is in the very least, a way to hold those believed to be responsible, accountable for their negligence.

Source: UPI.com, "Tainted melon in wrongful death suit," Jan. 4, 2012