Judicial Watch: Big Hog Beaten Again
Round five has gone again to injured neighbors who are the victims of the stench, insects, and health hazards caused by Big Hog polluting practices.
In the fifth federal hog pollution liability trial to go to a verdict in North Carolina, a jury once again found Smithfield Foods responsible for nuisances suffered by one of its contract factory farms’ neighbors. This was the second case involving neighbors of this particular Duplin County farm.
The award in this case was for $420,000. Jury awards in the previous cases have been much larger, but most of those dollars were for “punitive damages,” which have been trimmed by two recent state laws pushed by industry lobbyists. Smithfield is appealing the losses, but there are nearly 20 more cases yet to be heard, and more payouts are likely coming.
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