Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher, a Honolulu law firm in partnership with leading food borne illness lawyer Bill Marler, has filed a class action lawsuit as a result of the Hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii.  The suit names as defendants Genki Sushi, Koha Foods and Sea Port Products as the sources of the contaminated food.

The class of plaintiffs includes all persons who consumed food or drink at Genki Sushi restaurants from April through August 2016, and who for personal and public health and safety reasons obtained a Hepatitis A vaccination or an IG shot.  The complaint was filed on August 23, 2016 in the First Circuit Court, following the Hawaii Department of Health findings that the Hepatitis A infections were attributed to the consumption of contaminated scallops at certain Genki Sushi restaurants.  The scallops were imported to the United States from the Philippines by Sea Port Products and distributed to Genki Sushi by Koha Foods.

The lawsuit alleges that all food and drink sold at Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai during the exposure period were unsafe as a result of the contaminated scallops and potentially exposed thousands of people to the virus.

“This is quickly becoming one of the largest Hepatitis A outbreaks in US history.  Not only are there over 200 illnesses in Hawaii, we are beginning to see cases on the mainland as well.  Given the number of people that consumed scallops at Genki Sushi and became ill and worked at other restaurants on the islands, we estimate that over 10,000 people needed to be vaccinated to prevent an even larger disaster,” says Bill Marler.

Trevor Brown commented: “As a premier tourist destination, we want Hawaii to have the highest standards in food safety so our guests feel secure.  We also want our local people to be taken care of.  This suit is a step toward that.”

For more information or to speak to one of the lawyers contact Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher at 808-537-6100 and ask for Judith Pavey or Trevor Brown.

About Starn OToole Marcus & Fisher: Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher is a full service law firm, with significant experience in class action and personal injury matters.  The firm also has extensive experience in complex litigation, real estate and business transactions.

About Marler Clark:  Marler Clark, located in Seattle Washington,  specializes in representing victims of foodborne illness and has represented thousands of plaintiffs throughout the country.