3 Minn. families will share in salmonella settlement

A federal judge in Virginia has approved a settlement between a disgraced peanut supplier and scores of people who got sick eating tainted peanut butter -- including some in Minnesota.

Judge Norman Moon in Lynchburg, Virginia, signed off on the settlement on Thursday. Seattle-based attorney Bill Marler, who has represented many victims of food-borne illness -- including some in the Peanut Corporation of America case -- said about 120 people will share $12 million.

The settlements involved only a fraction of more than 700 confirmed Salmonella cases, but did include nine deaths linked to the outbreak.

Three Minnesotans died in the outbreak. All were residents in Brainerd nursing homes that ate contaminated peanut butter. Minnesota investigators played a key role in tracing the source of the salmonella outbreak.

Peanut Corporation is in Chapter 7 bankruptcy following the outbreak. An insurance company will pay for part of the settlement.

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