
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 4, 1995                   TAG: 9502060049
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MINNEAPOLIS                                LENGTH: Short

JUDGE OKS SALMONELLA SETTLEMENT

An ice-cream maker linked to a nationwide salmonella outbreak reached a tentative agreement Friday that would provide $80 to $75,000 to people who fell ill from eating Schwan's ice cream last fall.

Hennepin County District Judge Andrew Danielson gave preliminary approval to the plan, reached by Schwan's Sales Enterprises and attorneys for those who sued the company.

People who got sick after eating contaminated Schwan's ice cream will be able to consult a chart of symptoms and complications, figure out how much money it means and file a claim.

For example, someone who was sick for less than five days, with no doctor visits or lab tests to confirm the illness, would get $80. A confirmed case with three nights of hospitalization and eight days of disability would get $3,040. The amounts are in addition to actual expenses such as medical bills.

Someone who believes he deserves more could seek arbitration with the company, with a cap of $75,000 for each individual claim.

Thousands of people nationwide said they became ill after eating Schwan's ice cream in September and October. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed at least 645 cases in 28 states.

Jim O'Neal, an attorney for Schwan's, said there was no way to tell what the total dollar amount might be until all claims are filed. The deadline to file is July 1.

``Our whole agenda from day one has been to try to settle with our customers without protracted litigation,'' Schwan's spokesman David Jennings said.

by CNB