STONY BROOK, LONG ISLAND (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A dozen lawsuits were filed this week after multiple diners fell ill from apparent food poisoning believed to have been caused by “mishandled rice” at a Long Island sushi restaurant on Sept. 11.
A total of 28 people were sickened, 12 of whom were hospitalized by a foodborne illness at Kumo Sushi & Japanese Steakhouse on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook. All hospitalized customers went home the day of, according to Suffolk Department of Health Services.
The department said it may have been caused by "mishandled and improperly stored cooked rice that was served."
The restaurant was issued 15 violations following the incident including eight for foodborne illness risk factors, according to the health department.
The restaurant announced its permanent closure on Saturday.
“Before closing … Kumo proudly catered to members of the Long Island community for more than 12 years, serving more than one million meals,” the restaurant released in a statement Wednesday. “The health, safety and well-being of our customers has always been our top priority. The entire team at Kumo expresses our deepest regret and we apologize to those impacted by the recent situation at our restaurant.”
Nine lawsuits were filed on Tuesday and Wednesday on behalf of a teenage dance team of 10 girls who had eaten at the restaurant earlier this month, Joseph Dell, a Garden City attorney for the plaintiffs, told Newsday.
The attorneys are each seeking damages to be determined to cover medical costs, pain and suffering, Dell explained.
Three more lawsuits were filed on Sept. 13 on behalf of a mother and daughter who got sick after ordering takeout from Kumo.
“We are aware of legal actions that have been taken and we are working with our legal counsel to address them,” the restaurant's statement read. “We have full faith in the courts and the legal system.”