A large global sushi restaurant chain agreed to pay up to USD 4.5 million (EUR 3.9 million) to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that thousands of people were exposed to hepatitis A after eating scallops at its restaurants.
A preliminary settlement of up to USD 4.5 million (EUR 3.9 million) was reached between Genki Sushi, a conveyor belt-style sushi restaurant chain, and those who were exposed to hepatitis A in Hawaii in 2016.
Genki Sushi was formed in Japan in 1990, and quickly expanded to numerous locations in Asia and the United States. Its U.S. office is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The settlement stems from a hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii in 2016. The Hawaii Department of Health identified raw scallops served at Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai, Hawaii, as a likely source of the outbreak, according to Marler Clark, the law firm that obtained the settlement, in a statement.
“The product of concern was identified to be Sea Port Bay Scallops that originated in the Philippines and were distributed by Koha Oriental Foods,” Marler Clark said.
Qualified members of the class – those who were exposed to hepatitis A and received preventive treatments, but did not become ill – amount to more than 100,000 people, according to Marler Clark.
They are entitled to receive up to either USD 350 (EUR 305), USD 250 (EUR 218), or USD 150 (EUR 131) by submitting a claim form available at www.HawaiiHepA.com or by calling 1-800-532-9250, the law firm said.
