I will be filing lawsuits on behalf of Hawai‘i residents who got hepatitis A as a result of contaminated scallops eaten at one of the Genki Sushi restaurants in the islands. Lawsuits for people who have contracted hepatitis A in this outbreak will not be part of a “class action”. These will be individual lawsuits for each affected person because the injury suffered by each person is unique to that person. The lawsuits will be filed in state Circuit Court which is the main court for jury trials in Hawai‘i. Since there will be multiple lawsuits, it is not uncommon for the court to assign the cases to a single judge for the purposes of having consistency in rulings by the court on pretrial matters and an orderly setting of cases for trial. For more detailed questions call my office at 808-845-2211 or my mobile phone at 808-753-0290. There will be no charge for this call. It is most important that people get answers to their health questions so the injuries can be prevented or the harm minimized.
I am currently involved in 30+ lawsuits filed on behalf of Hawai‘i residents who suffered liver damage as a result of another food product. My office has great experience in helping people with injury to their liver get back on their feet. In those other cases, as well as the upcoming cases to be filed in regard to the contaminated scallops, I will be working with Andrews & Thornton, a mainland law firm, which has a long history of success in representing persons who have suffered damage to their liver from food products. In these types of cases I work on a contingency fee which means that the lawyers do not get paid unless and until money is recovered for the injured person. All litigation costs are paid by my firm and Andrews & Thornton. The fact that two law firms are working on the cases together does not mean an increased fee. The fee will be the same as charged for a single law firm and my firm and Andrews & Thornton divide up the standard fee. The client gets the benefit of two law firms for the price of one. The client also will have me as their local lawyer to be responsible for all aspects of the case. Anne Andrews has developed national prominence in legal circles for representing people who have suffered injuries like those suffered by the patrons of Genki Sushi who ate the contaminated scallops.
Some people have called over the weekend with questions about what they should do if they ate the scallops at Genki Sushi but have not become ill. The answer is that they should go to a doctor and get a blood test to see if they have hepatitis A. They should then follow the doctor’s directions going forward. The incubation period for hepatitis A is 15 – 60 days and people should be alert to the following symptoms according to the CDC:
Some persons, particularly young children, are asymptomatic. When symptoms are present, they usually occur abruptly and can include the following:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Dark urine
- Clay-colored bowel movements
- Joint pain
- Jaundice
If you ate at Genki Sushi and develop any of these symptoms go to your doctor or an emergency room and get a blood test to find out if you have hepatitis A.
Remember that hepatitis A can be spread by human contact and therefore is important to find out if a person has contracted hepatitis A. Since the incubation period can stretch up 60 days the fact that a person does not have symptoms is not completely reassuring. so they don’t spread it to family members and friends. It is equally important to know that you could contract hepatitis A even though you didn’t eat the contaminated scallops but had contact with someone who has contracted hepatitis A from the scallops. The Hawaii Department of Health has been outstanding in managing this outbreak and getting information to the public that will allow people to protect themselves. Following daily announcements at the Department of Health website is the best way to get the latest information on how to protect you and your family.
A resident of Honolulu, Hawaii, Wayne Parsons is an Injury Attorney that has dedicate his life to improving the delivery of justice to the people of his community and throughout the United States. He is driven to make sure that the wrongful, careless or negligent behavior that caused his clients' injury or loss does not happen to others.
2 Comments
Joni
Hello,
I ate at Genki's sushi many times between April and August. I experienced several of the symptoms listed above and recently went for a vaccine out of fear I may have caught Hepatitis A. By receiving the vaccine, have I eliminated my chance of having a suit against Genki? Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Respectfully,
Joni
Wayne Parsons
You could still have a problem so you need to be aware of changes. I'd like to have you speak with one of our liver specialists. Can I have someone call you? My cellphone is 808-753-0290 and my email is wparsons@hawaii.rr.com
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