A worker at a pig processing plant in Minnesota has filed suit against her employer, claiming that the job caused her and a dozen coworkers to develop a neurological disorder. The suit was filed by Susan Kruse against Quality Pork Processors plant in Austin, Minn. Kruse has been denied workers' compensation benefits for her illness.
Kruse and the others used a compressed air system to remove brains from pigs' heads. Investigators are trying to determine if the brain tissue, sprayed into the air, made them sick.
Kruse's lawyer says she has been off work for months, and the company has denied her workers' comp, which covers some expense short-term disability doesn't.
Quality Pork President Kelly Waeding says the denial was automatic because the insurance company wanted more information on all of the affected workers, and is still collecting it. She says five to eight other workers have been approved so far.
