SETTLEMENT: Deadline to File Hawai‘i Hepatitis A Claim Forms

Genki Sushi photo.

A preliminary settlement was reached for those people exposed to Hepatitis A related to Genki Sushi Restaurants. The settlement amount of $4,500,000 is available to those who file claim forms before Nov. 29, 2018. The class covers those who were exposed to Hepatitis A, but did not become ill. The class is represented by Seattle based, Marler Clark, the nation’s food safety law firm, Perkin and Faria, and Starn, O’Toole, Marcus, and Fisher, respected Hawai‘i firms.

In August of 2016, the Hawai‘i Department of Health Identified a Hepatitis A outbreak linked to Genki Sushi restaurants. In total there were 292 confirmed cases with 74 hospitalizations. Thirteen Genki Sushi restaurants on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i and Maui were affected.

Claim forms are available online or by calling (800) 532-9250.

The preliminary settlement covers three subclasses:

Exposure Subclass 1 – up to $350: All Class Members who were in contact with one of the 292 persons who the Hawai‘i Department of Health identified as infected with HAV as part of the 2016 Hepatitis A Outbreak. A contact is defined as:

• All household members of one of the 292 persons
• All sexual contacts with one of the 292 persons
• Anyone sharing illicit drugs with one of the 292 persons
• Anyone sharing food or eating or drinking utensils with one of the 292 persons
• Anyone consuming ready-to-eat foods prepared by one of the 292 persons

Exposure Subclass 2 – up to $250: All Class Members who as a result of consuming food on or between August 1 to August 16, 2016, were exposed to HAV at one of the thirteen Genki Sushi restaurants located on the islands of O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, and Maui, implicated in the summer 2016 outbreak of HAV.

Exposure Subclass 3 – up to $150: All Class Members who as a result of consumption of food or drink from one or more of the Secondary Establishments identified below, where an employee infected as part of the 2016 Hepatitis A Outbreak (one of the 292 persons) was found to have worked on the Identified Dates, were exposed as a result of consuming food or drink at the Secondary Establishment during one or more of the Identified Dates. The Secondary Establishments and Identified Dates are as follows:

• Sushi Shiono located at 69-201 Waikoloa Beach Dr., Waikoloa: July 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 2016;
• Baskin Robbins located at Waikele Center: June 30 and July 1, 2, 2016;
• Taco Bell located at 94-790 Uke’e St., Waipahu: July 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 2016;
• Chili’s Grill & Bar located at 590 Farrington Hwy, Kapoelei: July 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 2016;
• Twelve Hawaiian Airlines flights (24) flight 118 on July 24; (25) flight 117 on July 24; (26) flight 382 on July 24; (27) flight 383 on July 24; (28) flight 396 on July 24; (29) flight 365 on July 24; (30) flight 273 on July 25; (31) flight 68 on July 25; (32) flight 65 on July 25; (33) flight 147 on July 26;; (36) flight 18 on August 10; and (37) flight 17 on August 12, 2016;
• Tamashiro Market located at 802 N. King St., Honolulu: July 23, 2016;
• Papa John’s located at 94-1012 Waipahu St., Waipahu: August 2, 2016;
• New Lin Fong Bakery located at 1132 Maunakea St., Honolulu: July 27, 29, 30, and August 1, 3, 5, 6, 2016;
• Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, located at 801 Kaheka St., Honolulu: and August 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 2016;
• Kipapa Elementary School located at 95-76 Kipapa Dr., Mililani: August 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 2016;
• Zippy’s Restaurant located at 950 Kamokila Blvd.: August 14, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 2016;
• Harbor Restaurant at Pier 38 located at 1133 North Nimitz Hwy.: August 30-31 and September 1- 12, 2016;
• Ohana Seafood at Sam’s Club located at 1000 Kamehameha Hwy., Pearl City: September 1- 11, 2016;
• Chart House Restaurant located at 1765 Ala Moana Blvd.: September 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 2016; and
• McDonald’s Restaurant located at 4618 Kīlauea Ave.: October 5, 7, 11, 2016.

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s food safety law firm representing victims of Hepatitis A outbreaks. The Hepatitis A lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Hepatitis A and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $650 million for clients.  Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our Hepatitis A lawyers have litigated Hepatitis A cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of sources, such as green onions, lettuce and restaurant food.  The law firm has brought Hepatitis A lawsuits against such companies as Costco, Chi-Chi’s, Chipotle, Olive Garden, Taco Bell, Townsend Farms, Tropical Smoothie, Subway, McDonald’s, Red Robin, Chipotle, Quiznos and Carl’s Jr.  We proudly represented the family of Donald Rockwell, who died after consuming hepatitis A tainted food and Richard Miller, who required a liver transplant after eating food at a Chi-Chi’s restaurant.