Yountville's Redd Is Being Sued for Wrongful Death

The 10-year-old Yountville restaurant Redd is being sued for wrongful death after a San Diego man suffered food poisoning he attributed to scallops eaten at the restaurant. According to court documents, Larry Sacknoff, 61, ate scallops at Redd on July 21, 2013 with two friends, and they all experienced diarrhea, which they attributed to the scallops. The two friends eventually felt better, but Sacknoff, who had recently undergone a heart transplant, had a compromised immune system at the time and did not get better, eventually dying a year later on August 16, 2014 due to complications caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacteria found in estuarine or marine environments, according to court documents.

Now, Sacknoff’s daughters, Kristy Keckley, Ashley Sacknoff and Stefanie Sacknoff, are suing Redd Restaurant for wrongful death. The family reached a confidential settlement with Pierless Fish Corp., Redd’s scallop supplier, earlier this fall.

On August 6, 2013, Napa County’s environmental health division inspected the restaurant in response to a complaint from Sacknoff’s family and gave the restaurant a passing B grade, though the inspector reported that, "Scallops prepared during this inspection were less than thoroughly cooked," which according to food safety guidelines need to be cooked to 145 degrees, while Redd’s were between 108 and 132 degrees.

The Sacknoff family is seeking unspecified damages due to strict product liability, negligence and breach of implied warranties, as well as wrongful death damages. A jury trial is scheduled for July 11. Redd and the attorneys involved have not immediately responded to Eater’s request for comment.