Once again, Dave’s Sushi is facing a civil lawsuit. In fact, this is the second wrongful death lawsuit filed against the restaurant since a suspected foodborne illness outbreak sickened several people in April.
“We’re beside ourselves to think that people could’ve died as a result of what they ate at Dave’s,” Operating Manager Noah Corwin told MTN News in an interview just two weeks after the restaurant re-opened in May. Two people died among around 50 people who became ill after eating at Dave's on April 17.
One of those who died after eating at Dave’s was William Lewis, who died at his home in Broadwater County after becoming severely ill and dehydrated.
Now, a Houston-based law firm announced it has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dave's on behalf of Lewis's estate.
In an email, the law firm, Ron Simon & Associates, stated:
“It’s too soon to know the extent to which Dave’s Sushi is culpable, and what extent others are to blame for these poisonings. What we do know, is that adulterated food was served to patrons of Dave’s Sushi, and that this tragedy must be understood to prevent anything like this from happening in the future.”
This is the second wrongful death lawsuit Dave’s has faced, beginning with a Belgrade woman, Donna Ventura, who died in the ICU at Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center on April 29. Ventura’s husband filed the lawsuit against the restaurant.
In a detailed response to the recent deaths and lawsuits, Dave’s Sushi said:
"Our hearts go out to the loved ones of Mr. Lewis and Mrs. Ventura and to all who have been impacted, no matter the circumstances. The Gallatin City-County Health Department, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, the CDC, and the FDA have been investigating this unthinkable and tragic foodborne illness that continues to focus on morel mushrooms that we purchased from a California distributor. All those affected by this tragedy will continue to remain in our hearts and will not be forgotten by our restaurant family here at Dave’s.”
Dave’s went on to say they’ve noticed misinformation and rumors about what happened, and they’ve created an FAQ page to answer as many questions as possible during this ongoing investigation.
