Three Pee Dee residents who claim they became ill from food they ate at a Camden buffet restaurant are among a group of nine people who have filed a class-action lawsuit against the restaurant.

According to the lawsuit filed this week in the Kershaw County Clerk of Court’s Office, Lamont Jones and Jalin Jones of Florence, Vera Strickland of Darlington and six other plaintiffs from Columbia, Charleston and Charlotte, N.C., are members of a putative class of 300 or more customers of Old South Restaurant who think they developed salmonella or food poisoning as a result of eating at the restaurant on or about the days of May 20-23.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 304 confirmed and suspected cases, including 56 hospital admissions and one death, among people who ate at the Old South restaurant in Camden, between May 19 and May 22. The episode has been called the largest foodborne illness outbreak in recent state history. DHEC officials attributed the outbreak to turkey served at the restaurant.

In addition to negligence, the lawsuit also alleges breach of warranty.

The plaintiffs are seeking a joint settlement not to exceed $5 million plus court costs and attorney fees.