Wife Died After Butcher Brought Coronavirus Home From Work: Suit

NORTH AURORA, IL — A North Aurora woman died shortly after contracting the coronavirus from her husband, who worked “shoulder to shoulder” with others during the first month of the pandemic as a butcher at a North Aurora meat packing facility, according to a lawsuit recently filed in Kane County court.

The wrongful death lawsuit, filed last week by the estate of Esperanza Ugalde, states that Ugalde died of coronavirus-related conditions May 2, just four days after her husband, Ricardo, contracted the coronavirus while working for Aurora Packing Co. in North Aurora. Ugalde was 67.

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Erika Iniguez, Ugalde’s daughter and the administrator of her estate, told the Aurora Beacon-News in May that her mother was always motivational and supportive of her family and community, and she was always smiling.

Ugalde moved from Mexico to Aurora in the 1980s to live with her husband and a brother, the Beacon-News reported. She was an active member at St. Nicholas Catholic Church on Aurora’s east side and a longtime Chicago Cubs fan, according to her obituary.

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A day before her death, Ugalde tested positive for the coronavirus, along with her husband and a son who lives with them, the report states.

Attorney Bridget Duignan, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Iniguez and Ugalde’s estate, said Aurora Packing officials made no effort to protect their workers, or their workers’ families, after a coronavirus outbreak among employees at the plant in mid-to-late April.

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Duignan, of the Chicago-based Latherow & Duignan law firm, said employees were not given any masks or protective and gear and were forced to continue working shoulder to shoulder at the facility. Employees were also threatened with consequences if they did not show up for work due to fears for their health or the safety of their families, Duignan said.

By the end of April, when Ricardo Ugalde contracted the coronavirus, it should have been clear to the company how quickly and easily the coronavirus could spread in close quarters, Duignan said.

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“Aurora Packing either knew, or should have known, the same thing we all knew” and implemented new safety measures at that time, Duignan said, noting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had issued guidelines for businesses to keep employees safe by late April.

Duignan said the company belatedly instituted new prevention methods, but only after Ugalde’s death in early May.

“The mere fact that they were able to implement the CDC guidelines after the fact shows that it was feasible to do beforehand when the time was right,” Duignan said.

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A representative for Aurora Packing Co. told Patch on Wednesday that the company was “not aware” of any lawsuit filed against it, before saying he could not comment on pending litigation.

A message across the top of Aurora Packing Co.’s website says the company “takes pride in the various safety programs in place that are designed to protect our employees.”

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“In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have taken a proactive approach to minimize the health risk of spreading the virus,” the message says. “Aurora Packing Company is committed to provide a safe workplace for everyone. We will continue to monitor the situation and update our COVID-19 Response, as necessary.”

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