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Burger King’s Halloween Whopper, Courtesy of The Daily Dot.
Summary: Fast food restaurants have been the defendants of some of the craziest law suits of all time.
Burger King has come under fire recently because their spooky new Halloween Whopper with a black bun causes people’s poop to turn green. Yes, you read that right: green.
While the exact cause has yet to be determined, Gizmodo thinks the leprechaun dookie is the result of blue food coloring used to change the bun’s color.
Burger King insists its burgers are safe. So far, there’s been no word of any lawsuits filed. But if the past is any indicator, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Check out this list of outrageous things fast food restaurants have been sued for:
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1. Woman Sues McDonalds for Coffee That Was Too Hot
In 1994, Stella Liebeck became the butt of Late Night jokes after she sued McDonald’s because she spilled the chain’s hot coffee on herself, causing third degree burns. In her famous lawsuit, Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants, she argued that McDonald’s coffee was defective. The jury awarded her $160,000 in medical expenses and $2.7 million in punitive damages. The trial judge lowered the amount, and the two parties settled for an undisclosed sum.
Stella Liebeck v. McDonald’s, Photo courtesy of CBC.
2. Man Sues McDonalds for $1.5 Million Over a Napkin
After ordering a Quarter Pounder Deluxe in 2014, Webster Lucas was appalled to find he was only given one napkin. According to The New York Daily News, he complained to the manager at the McDonald’s in Pacoima, California and asked for more. The 59-year-old alleged that the Mexican-American manager then mumbled something about “you people” in reference to him being African-American. Lucas claimed he suffered from “undue mental anguish” despite the fact the management offered him free burgers for his trouble. He ultimately filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against the chain. Maybe he was hoping to get a piece of Stella Liebeck’s pie.
Webster Lucas was not happy with McDonald’s. Photo courtesy of TMZ.
3. Carl’s Jr. Sues Jack In The Box over Anus Beef Joke
Cracked reports that Carl’s Jr. sued Jack in the Box because of an ad campaign where Jack implied rival Carl’s Jr. made its burgers out of anus meat. At the time, Carl’s Jr. sold burgers made of “Angus” beef; Jack based an entire campaign on the hopes that “Angus” sounded like “anus.” Carl’s Jr. filed a complaint on the basis people were too stupid to tell the difference. In 2007, a judge denied Carl’s Jr.’s injunction to stop the ads from airing. Carl’s Jr. released a survey as evidence, showing that 36 percent of people actually thought Angus beef was from a cow’s anus.
Jack in the Box v. Carl’s Jr. Photo courtesy of Cracked.
4. Obese Man Sues McDonald’s, Burger King, and Kentucky Fried Chicken for Making Him Fat
In 2002, Caesar Barber and attorney Samuel Hirsch filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s, Burger King, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Barber stated he was unaware of the nutritional content of fast food, and that the chains had withheld this information. He further alleged that his fast food consumption led to his diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. In 2003, the case was dismissed. According to Food Tank, Hirsch filed another lawsuit against McDonalds in 2003 on the grounds that the company uses intentionally deceptive marketing.
One in three Americans are overweight. Photo courtesy of NY Post.
5. Woman Sues Jimmy Johns for Forgetting Sprouts
Heather Starks filed a class action lawsuit in Los Angeles County Court against sandwich maker Jimmy Johns. She claimed she ordered a sandwich with sprouts but did not receive sprouts; consequently she sued for fraud and false advertising. Although Jimmy Johns denied her claims, they ended up settling, according to AJC.
If their sandwich looked like this, Jimmy John’s could’ve avoided a lawsuit… Photo courtesy of Broward Palm Beach.
6. Taco Bell Sued for Claiming Their “Meat” Is Meat
In 2011, a California woman sued Taco Bell for advertising its tacos had “seasoned ground beef” in them. Allegedly Taco Bell’s “meat” was only composed of 35 percent meat and the rest was just a mix of chemicals, corn starch, wheat oats, water, and an anti-dusting agent, Property Casualty 360 reports. The chain later revealed that the meat is actually 88 percent beef, NPR reports.
Taco Bell’s mystery meat came under fire in 2011. Photo courtesy of Philly Mag.
7. Lazy Woman Sues Burger King for Twenty Cent Discrepancy
A New York woman lived near a Burger King that sold a large soda for 89 cents. At another location two blocks away, the same soda was 20 cents cheaper. Instead of walking to the other location or just paying the 20 cents, she sued Burger King. According to Entrepreneur, Burger King won without even showing up to court.
If people decide to sue over their green poo, we’ll see if they get off that easy.
Burger King keeps his swagger. Courtesy of NBC Washington.
