Sometimes, when ordering from our favorite fast-food chains, we encounter minor issues that can be irritating. But, believe it or not, some individuals don’t stop there—they file lawsuits! Yes, here are some crazy stories about people suing fast-food companies for all sorts of reasons! 🤔
10. Taco Bell – Price Difference
A couple from New Jersey filed a lawsuit against Taco Bell and its parent company, Yum! Brands, in September 2019. They claimed they bought two ‘Chalupa Craving Boxes’ advertised for $5 each but were charged more. The total came to $12.18 for both boxes before tax. Feeling misled by what they saw as false advertising, they asked for compensation for the time and gas spent driving to Taco Bell because they were led to believe by a $5 price mentioned in a Taco Bell commercial. The case went to federal court in October, where Taco Bell argued that their commercial included a small note stating prices could depend.
9. Subway – Tuna Problem
A lawsuit against Subway made headlines in January 2021, claiming that their tuna sandwiches weren’t made of real tuna. Instead, it was alleged to be a mix of different ingredients. The New York Times tested samples from three Subway locations in Los Angeles but couldn’t find DNA from any of the expected tuna species. Although cooking can make tuna DNA harder to detect, the results were concerning and drew attention to the lawsuit.
Subway denied the allegations, stating there was no truth to them. In June, the plaintiffs revised their claim, accusing Subway of mislabeling the product as “100 percent sustainably caught skipjack and yellowfin tuna” or “100 percent tuna” when it might not be entirely tuna or even those specific types. Another test by Inside Edition found real tuna in New York Subway sandwiches, but the negative publicity added to Subway’s troubles, especially following a December 2020 court ruling in Ireland that their bread contained too much sugar to be called “bread.
8. McDonald’s – McNuggets
A lawsuit involving a McDonald’s chicken nugget caught attention in May 2020. A man from Palm Beach bit into a nugget only to feel intense pain when his tooth hit something hard. It was discovered that there was a bone, almost an inch long, inside the McNugget. After visiting the dentist and finding two tiny cracks in his tooth, the man sued McDonald’s for $1.1 million. McDonald’s stated they were investigating the claim. The man argued that McNuggets posed a danger to consumers and called for McDonald’s to recall all of them.
7. Starbucks – Too Much Ice
Starbucks was sued for allegedly putting too much ice in its drinks. The plaintiff argued that Starbucks filled nearly half of the cup with ice, leaving less space for coffee than advertised. However, the judge disagreed with this claim. U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson stated that it’s reasonable for consumers to expect both ice and tea in an iced drink. The case was dismissed. A Starbucks spokesperson added that employees would gladly remake drinks for customers unhappy with the ice-to-drink ratio.
6. Wendy’s – Fingertip on Chili
One of the most well-known fast-food lawsuits involved a woman who sued Wendy’s after allegedly finding a human fingertip in her chili. While this might sound like an urban legend, it’s a true story. However, it wasn’t a case of a customer seeing a body part in her meal. The woman, Anna Ayala, had placed the fingertip in the chili herself in an attempt to profit from a lawsuit. The fingertip was genuine; it had been given to Ayala’s husband by a coworker who lost it in a work accident. This strange turn of events resulted in Ayala and her husband pleading guilty to conspiracy to file a false claim and attempted grand theft. They were both sentenced to prison.
5. Dunkin’ – Angus Steak & Egg sandwich
In 2017, a resident of Queens filed a lawsuit against Dunkin’ Donuts over its Angus Steak & Egg sandwich. She was surprised that the meat in the sandwich was a regular beef patty, not an actual steak. She believed Dunkin’ should accurately label their products and accused them of false advertising. While Dunkin’ did mention “Angus beef” in their commercials, they argued that the sandwich’s ingredients were listed for customers to see. The lawsuit sparked debates about the definition of “steak.” As of June 2019, there was no final decision on the case.
4. Burger King – 20 Cents
A New York woman sued Burger King over a 20-cent price difference for a large Coke. She found that the same drink cost 89 cents at the nearest Burger King but only 69 cents at a slightly farther location. Seeking compensation for the extra distance she had to walk for the cheaper soda, she sued Burger King for $100. Burger King won the case, even though they didn’t appear in court. This incident is just one example of the strange customer stories often encountered in the fast-food industry.
3. Krispy Kreme – Fruitless Dessert
In 2016, Los Angeles resident Jason Saidian filed a lawsuit against Krispy Kreme, seeking five million dollars in damages. He claimed that some of their fruit-flavored desserts did not contain real fruit and that products like the Maple Bar lacked genuine maple ingredients. Saidian argued that if a donut was labeled as “Glazed Raspberry Filled,” it should contain real raspberry. However, upon examining the ingredients, this was different. To his credit, Saidian found that some desserts, like the Glazed Lemon Donuts, did contain real lemon juice. He believed this inconsistency warranted legal action. Eventually, Saidian dropped the lawsuit voluntarily in 2017.
2. KFC – Chicken Bucket
A woman from New York filed a lawsuit against KFC in 2016 for false advertising. The issue was the “fill-up” chicken bucket she purchased, which didn’t match the overflowing buckets shown in commercials. Despite KFC offering her gift certificates as compensation, she remained dissatisfied and pursued legal action. However, the court ultimately dismissed her complaint.
1. McDonald’s – Hot Coffee
The hot coffee lawsuit involving McDonald’s is yet another well-known legal case in fast food. In 1992, Stella Liebeck, aged 79, experienced severe burns when McDonald’s coffee spilled on her as she attempted to remove the lid. While it’s often joked about with remarks like “Hot coffee was hot? No way!”, the incident was more serious than such quips imply. Liebeck suffered third-degree burns requiring skin grafts and sued McDonald’s after they failed to cover her $10,000 medical bills. Despite its widespread notoriety, the case was not as frivolous as some might think, particularly compared to other bizarre fast-food lawsuits.
Strange, right?
So, that’s a taste of some of the strange lawsuits in the fast food world. Remember, most fast-food places try their best, but sometimes things get strange!