Former Texan Who Got Sick on Ice Cream Sues Blue Bell Alleging Negligence

An ex-Houston , Texas resident who says he contracted listeria-related meningitis after eating Blue Bell ice cream has sued the company.

David Philip Shockley seeks unspecified damages in the negligence lawsuit filed in Austin.

Texas-based Blue Bell in April recalled its ice cream and halted production after a series of listeria illnesses linked to the treats.

Shockley in 2013 lived in Houston, was employed at a retirement complex, his bosses purchased Blue Bell and he ate the items at work.

The lawsuit says Shockley in October 2013 was hospitalized for respiratory failure and septic shock. Doctors diagnosed him with listeria meningitis with encephalitis.

Shockley, who suffered brain damage, now lives with relatives in Snow Hill, Maryland.

Blue Bell and the Texas Department of State Health Services didn’t immediately return messages.