CHICAGO, IL (January 25, 2007) — A class action lawsuit will be filed tomorrow against Houlihan’s, the Geneva, Illinois, restaurant where a food worker was diagnosed with hepatitis A. The lawsuit will be filed in Kane County Circuit Court on behalf of named plaintiff Rebecca Johnson, a Geneva, resident who dined at Houlihan’s with her family on January 19, 2007, and all other persons who were exposed to the hepatitis A virus at Houlihan’s between January 8 and January 19, and were forced to receive Immune Globulin shots to prevent becoming ill with hepatitis A. The lawsuit will be brought by Marler Clark, a Seattle law firm that has represented thousands of victims of foodborne illness outbreaks, and James P. Crawley, a respected Chicago attorney.

According to health officials, at least 3,000 people ate at the Houlihan’s restaurant located at 1332 Commons Drive in Geneva between January 8 and January 19, when the infected individual was working. The Kane County Health Department inoculated 2,060 individuals against hepatitis A on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week, and stressed that those patrons who had consumed iced beverages were most at risk for infection. 

“Filing a class action makes sense in that people who received shots had similar injuries,” said William Marler, managing partner of Marler Clark. According to the lawsuit, class members will seek damages including lost wages, medical and travel expenses, and emotional distress related to the fear of becoming infected with the hepatitis A virus. Continue Reading Class Action Lawsuit to be Filed Against Houlihan’s Friday