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General Electric sued over 2011 Japanese nuclear disaster

Member of Japan's Ground Self Defense Force decontaminate at the city office of Namie Machi, 8 kilometers from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on December 8, 2011. About 900 members of Japan's GSFD conducted a two-week decontamination operation. UPI/Keizo Mori
Member of Japan's Ground Self Defense Force decontaminate at the city office of Namie Machi, 8 kilometers from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on December 8, 2011. About 900 members of Japan's GSFD conducted a two-week decontamination operation. UPI/Keizo Mori | License Photo

NEW YORK, March 12 (UPI) -- Two class-action lawsuits have been filed in New York City against General Electric Co. over the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, court documents show.

In one case, lead plaintiff Mitsuru Okura alleges GE and GE-Hitachi failed to properly design, build and maintain the nuclear power plant destroyed by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, Courthouse News Service reported Wednesday.

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A summons and notice filed in New York County Supreme Court seeks compensatory damages of at least $3 million per plaintiff. The filing did not state the number of people included in the class but the news service noted more than 100,000 people were evacuated following the disaster.

Okura alleges that because of the companies' negligence and recklessness, he and other class members suffered "personal injury, mental anguish, emotional distress, property damage, business interruption, loss of business, loss of income, economic injuries, and ongoing long-term physical, mental and emotional health problems," the document states.

Besides GE, Okura served notice to GE-Hitachi Energy Holdings LLC, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International and ABC Corps. 1-50, Courthouse News Service said.

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The second case was brought against the same defendants by Sasaki Body Ltd. and Mihana Ltd. It seeks $5 million in damages per class member.

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