Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s bill for its Fukushima nuclear disaster may swell as more U.S. service members pursue claims that the utility lied about radiation levels they faced while assisting in relief efforts in fallout zones after the March 11, 2011, megaquake and tsunami disaster.
Twenty-six plaintiffs refiled a suit this week, with as many as 100 others in the process of joining the legal action, in demands for more than $2 billion in compensation, the Stars and Stripes newspaper reported Saturday, citing attorneys. An initial complaint was filed Dec. 21 by eight U.S. Navy sailors.
The amended suit filed in California seeks at least $40 million in compensatory and punitive damages for each plaintiff, as well as a fund exceeding $1 billion, up from an earlier demand for $100 million, for monitoring health and payment of medical expenses, the report said.