West Virginia Meatloaf Death Cases Moved to Federal Court

A lawsuit blaming a restaurant’s meatloaf for the deaths of a former West Virginia state lawmaker and her husband is moving to federal court.

In October, former Delegate Virginia Starcher’s family filed the lawsuit against New Albany, Ohio-based Bob Evans Farms in Jackson County Circuit Court.

Judge Thomas Johnston will hear the case in U.S. District Court in Charleston.

A filing by Bob Evans’ attorney denies the allegations.

The lawsuit says Starcher and her husband, Harold, ate meatloaf meals from Bob Evans in Ripley in October 2012. It claims that nine hours later, both went to a hospital for food poisoning. Harold Starcher suffered a stroke that day.

Virginia Starcher, who had pre-existing health problems, died in December 2012.

Her husband died in May 2013 after a December open-heart surgery.