Lawsuits filed over Hepatitis-A outbreak
April 20, 2006
Jacksboro, Campbell County (WVLT) - Concerns over a Hepatitis-A outbreak last spring in Campbell County are resurfacing.
Four people have filed lawsuits against a Jacksboro restaurant they believe may have helped spread the outbreak.
Whitney Daniel has the details of each lawsuit and explains why these people are filing suits almost a year later.
Before this, attorneys say, there wasn't ample evidence pinpointing one particular restaurant as the source of the outbreak. Now, they say Long John Silver's Seafood Shoppe in Jacksboro is the source.
But still, after a year, the East Tennessee Regional Health Department says they have not identified a certain restaurant.
You'll remember back in spring of 2005, dozens of people contracted Hepatitis-A. That prompted hundreds of restaurant patrons to get immune globulin shots.
More than 6,000 vaccines went to Campbell County school kids and teachers. Then, the Health Department offered about 2,000 concerned citizens the vaccine as well.
In these lawsuits, the plaintiffs allege long john silver's sold them food contaminated with Hepatitis-A. They say the store owners and operators had a responsibility to prevent food contamination. The four plaintiffs are each suing the restaurant, its owner, Lenora Morris and YUM! Brands Incorporated, the company that owns Long John Silver's.
President of the franchise, Dave Carr, gave WVLT this statement:
"Health department officials determined that our long john silver's restaurant was not involved in the hepatitis outbreak... Our assessment is that (this lawsuit) is baseless. It's unfortunate that we even have to respond to these claims."
Each plaintiff is asking for $50,000 in damages.
And just for your information, Hepatitis-A is a serious liver disease. It's usually spread by close personal contact and can also be spread by eating or drinking anything contaminated with the Hepatitis-A virus.
Which, after these lawsuits, it looks like may have been what some think happened in Campbell County.
