--- title: Grants Pass restaurant sued over Norovirus outbreak date: 2005-01-31T20:03:00-08:00 author: admin canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/grants-pass-restaurant-sued-over-norovirus-outbreak" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Outbreaks](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) / # Grants Pass restaurant sued over Norovirus outbreak GRANTS PASS, Ore. – A lawsuit was filed today against Si Casa Flores, the Grants Pass restaurant linked to a Norovirus outbreak during the first week of January, 2005. The lawsuit was filed by Marler Clark, the Seattle law firm nationally known for its representation of victims of foodborne illness, on behalf of two Grants Pass men. The complaint was filed in Josephine County Circuit Court. Plaintiffs in the case, Don and Joseph Penasso, are both residents of Grants Pass. They ate at Si Casa Flores on January 5, and became ill with symptoms of Norovirus (formerly called Norwalk or Norwalk-like Virus) on January 7. According to the complaint, Don Penasso suffers from an immune system disorder, and continues to suffer from the effects of his Norovirus infection. Joseph Penasso has been unable to regain weight he lost during his illness. “Norovirus typically causes a relatively short-lived albeit intense illness in healthy adults,” said David Babcock, attorney for the Penassos. “But when an immunocompromised person is exposed to the virus, they have a harder time fighting it off, and can suffer a longer, more violent illness.” The Oregon Department of Human Services reported that at least 32 people became ill with Norovirus after contaminated food at Si Casa Flores from January 6-8. “It is unfortunate that this outbreak occurred, but food safety procedures should have been in place to prevent Norovirus from spreading in the first place,” Babcock continued. \### ABOUT MARLER CLARK: Marler Clark has extensive experience representing victims of foodborne illnesses. The firm has represented thousands of food poisoning victims since 1993, when William Marler represented Brianne Kiner in her $15.6 million E. coli settlement with Jack in the Box. The firm represented most of the seriously injured victims of the Odwalla apple juice E. coli outbreak of 1998, the Sun Orchard Salmonella outbreak of 1999, the Sizzler E. coli outbreak of 2000, the Wendy’s E. coli outbreak of 2001, and the ConAgra E. coli outbreak of 2002. Marler Clark recently resolved the claims of over 50 victims of the Chili’s Salmonella outbreak in Vernon Hills, Illinois, and is presently involved in Chi Chi’s hepatitis A and Sheetz Salmonella litigation. See the firm-sponsored site about Norovirus and the Norovirus Blog, which is continuously updated with news on Norovirus outbreaks across the nation. 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The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [Norovirus Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/about-norwalk) What is Norovirus? When someone talks about having “the stomach flu,” they are probably describing acute-onset gastroenteritis caused by one of the noroviruses, which are members of the “calcivirus” family... ###### [Symptoms and Risks of Norovirus Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-symptoms-risks) Norovirus causes a relatively short, intense illness characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. The most common symptoms are sudden onset of vomiting and watery diarrhea, although stomach cramps... ###### [How is Norovirus Infection Diagnosed?](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-diagnosis) Norovirus can be detected in an infected person’s stool or vomit through laboratory testing. Diagnosis of norovirus illness is based on the combination of symptoms, particularly the prominence of vomiting... ###### [Treatment for Norovirus Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-treatment) Norovirus typically resolves without treatment; however, dehydration is a concern. Collecting a stool sample and using molecular methods to find viral RNA is the preferred method to test for norovirus... ###### [Preventing Norovirus Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-prevention) Norovirus infection can be prevented through attention to proper sanitation and cooking procedures. The role of food handlers has been documented substantially, highlighting that keeping ill food handlers out of... ##### Outbreak Database #### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)