Japanese restaurant sued for kamikaze shrimp
The family of a deceased man in New York have filed a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against the restaurant chain Benihana, saying that his death was caused when he wrenched his neck as he ducked to avoid a shrimp tossed by a chef at the restaurant.
Months after the January 2001 incident, the 43-year-old Long Island man died from complications caused by neck surgery he required afterward, the lawyer said.Benihana lawyer Charles Connick said it was unlikely a chef who works for tips would toss food at customers after being asked not to, as Ferenzo claimed. Even if that happened, Connick added, the cause of Colaitis’ death was an infection or neck injury unrelated to the shrimp.
Why are chefs chucking food at guests you ask?
Benihana chefs mix dining with entertainment as they grill Japanese food in front of patrons. Ferenzo said some of them have become more daring in recent years, but Connick said customers enjoy the experience.
“Some customers, especially dads and sons, want to catch the food,” Connick said. “The evidence will show that it was part of the show.”
In case anyone is wondering. . . No, cooks do not throw food at patrons in Japan.
Read a more legalese description of the incident here.
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that in ancient china if you were REALLY fat that meant you were...
omg i feel so bad for a that monkey help it some one plzzzz
This thing is pure legal bullshit. The man died in 2001, five years ago, so why is his family making the claim NOW? Just for proximate-cause reasons, to see if they can shake some money out ofthe Benihana tree. And the Benihana owner has a hot babe of a daughter named ________{?} [Aoki?] who has become a model in New York, too.
Making a proximate-cause argument, the lawyer for the deceased man’s estate has alleged that the man’s reflexive response — to duck away from the flying food — caused a neck injury that required surgery.
Complications from that first operation necessitated a second procedure. Five months later, Jerry Colaitis of Old Brookville, N.Y., was dead of an illness that his family claims was proximately caused by the injury.
January 13th, 2006 at 3:55 pmDummy! Her name is Devon Aoki, father is Rocky Benihana. Hot babe indeed!
January 13th, 2006 at 3:57 pm……Aoki’s family moved to London. Her father is Rocky Aoki, owner of Benihana’s Japanese Restaurants and her GODDESS-mother is supermodel Kate [COCAINE] Moss. With Japanese, German and British ancestry, Aoki’s exotic looks landed her as a Channel model.
Modeling since 13, Aoki’s big break was in John Singleton’s street racing movie sequel “2 Fast 2 Furious,” but …..
January 13th, 2006 at 3:59 pmI have been to a few of these “entertainment” japanese meals in my life and they are fun though I highly doubt that the chef threw shrimp at him because usually its something small and simple. Unless of course the shrimp slipped off the flipper thing.
I agree with Eff Li Dailey on this because they should of taken action immediately or shortly after. Also why $10million? How can that restaurant afford that and what will the family do with $10million? the guy was old and if you kill your self from dodging something that isn’t harmful then you have like a week to live anyways. lol
$10mil is a little much and if anything the family shouldn’t get more then healthcare cost because the chef didn’t lay a hand on the person from that story. I’m sure this is one case where both parties are the bad side anyway.
January 13th, 2006 at 5:18 pmFamily: Man Died After Ducking Flying Shrimp
Japundit to the world! This story has legs!
MINEOLA, N.Y. — A shrimp a ”hibachi” chef tossed at a man eating at a Japanese steakhouse ultimately led to the man’s tragic and sad death, his tearful family claims in a US$10 million wrongful death lawsuit against the restaurant chain Beni-haha.
Jerry Colaitis wrenched his neck when he ducked to avoid the shrimp in the chain’s Munsey Park restaurant, attorney Andre Ferenzo said in opening statements Wednesday.
Months after the January 2001 incident, the 43-year-old Long Island man died from complications caused by neck surgery he required afterward, the lawyer said.
Benihana lawyer Charles Connick said it was unlikely a chef who works for tips would toss food at customers after being asked not to, as Ferenzo claimed. Even if that happened, Connick added, the cause of Colaitis’ death was an infection or neck injury unrelated to the shrimp.
Benihana chefs mix dining with entertainment as they grill Japanese food in front of patrons. Ferenzo said some of them have become more daring in recent years, but Connick said customers enjoy the experience.
“Some customers, especially dads and sons, want to catch the food,” Connick said. “The evidence will show that it was part of the show.”
Colaitis, of Old Brookville, underwent neck surgery in June 2001, but there were complications, and he had numbness in his arm, Ferenzo said. He died that November, a day after checking into a hospital with a 105-degree fever.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
January 13th, 2006 at 9:29 pmMaybe Jerry Colaitis had colitis!
January 13th, 2006 at 9:29 pmshouldn’t they be suing the hospital? It sounds like they’re the ones that screwed up
January 13th, 2006 at 10:27 pmIf anyone, they should be suing themselves for being so stupid.
I can’t believe people like this actually exist. I wonder if I go throw some shrimp at the family the same thing will happen to all of them?
January 14th, 2006 at 12:04 amI work at a Benihana’s as a waitress and I’ve never seen any chefs viciously throwing shrimp at customers. *lol* The only time I’ve seen a shrimp tail thrown was a customer trying to get it in the chef’s hat.
These people are just lower bottom feeders than the shrimp themselves.
January 14th, 2006 at 2:48 amArg im being shrimped to death. Lol
January 14th, 2006 at 3:16 amChef in deep over shrimp death
Can a flying shrimp really be fatal? That’s the $10-million question being posed by a few disgruntled New York customers of Japanese restaurant chain Benihana. The reason for their lack of gruntlement? They claim one of their family took…
January 14th, 2006 at 12:53 pmand her mother is Pamela Hilburger, a jewelry designer. Devon is of Japanese, German, and English ancestry. She started modeling when she was 13, the same year her godmother introduced her to modeling legend Kate Moss. She is now the face of Lancome and is one of the top earners at her agency, Women.
Don’t take that 30 seconds to look up IMDB or anything.
January 15th, 2006 at 5:56 amThe case is on trial now (continuing on Monday 1/30/06) but the claim was made years ago. The first papers were filed by the court in November 2002 and those papers don’t get filed with the court until several months after the defendants get served with the suit papers. What’s amazing is that the case has apparently been on trial for more than a week now. They must be hearing and contesting the medical proof.
January 28th, 2006 at 10:05 amhey~ i was just wondering if this is the rest. owned by benihana used to be samuari? well it’s still called samurai but benihana bought it a few years ago because of a lawsuit..would this happen to be the lawsuit?? =/
March 19th, 2007 at 10:38 am