McDonald’s faces class action lawsuit over McRib
A group of factory owners has filed a class action lawsuit in Illinois accusing McDonald’s of lying about the ingredients in its McRib.
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A woman is suing McDonald’s over the Sausage and Egg McMuffin, which she says made her “severely ill” and permanently “unable to work as usual,” according to a lawsuit filed in New York in May.
This is one of the latest legal troubles to hit McDonald’s. A class action lawsuit was filed against the burger giant in late December over claims about McDonald’s McRib sandwich.
Here’s what you need to know about the Sausage and Egg McMuffin lawsuit.
Lawsuit claims food is ‘unfit for human consumption’
Yvette Hines, a Texas resident, claims she ate a Sausage and Egg McMuffin “unfit for human consumption” at a McDonald’s in New York City’s Times Square in 2023, according to a complaint filed May 26 in New York State Supreme Court.
The case was moved to the high court because, as the complaint states, the damages suffered by Ms. Hands are so high that they are “beyond the jurisdiction of any lower court” that could have otherwise tried them.
Hines claims in her complaint that immediately after eating the meal, she “felt extremely sick, felt nauseous, and suffered severe pain and suffering throughout her body,” which she claims were directly related to the food.
The complaint lists a number of potential causes, including “hazardous substances, pollutants, poisons, toxins, parasites, germs, germs and/or organisms.” It also alleges that the staff knew or should have known that the food was contaminated.
In a statement shared with USA TODAY, McDonald’s owner and operator Paul Goodman said he “takes great pride in providing safe, high-quality food to every customer who walks into our restaurants,” and that his team is “committed to upholding strict food safety and handling practices throughout our restaurants every day.”
“We always take matters like this seriously and investigate them thoroughly,” Goodman added. “While we strongly dispute the facts alleged in this lawsuit, this matter was resolved several months ago in order to maintain our focus on our customers.”
A lawsuit alleging permanent damages
Hines’ lawsuit alleges that the Sausage and Egg McMuffin “made her dangerously sick and sick,” and that the toxins in the breakfast food “infected and poisoned her entire body.”
Three years after eating the food, Hines continues to suffer from “extreme pain all over her body,” despite undergoing “several surgeries, procedures, and treatments” in search of a cure, according to the lawsuit.
Permanent damage to Hines’ “physical, neurological, and mental systems” left her unable to perform normal tasks around the home and “work to which she was accustomed,” the lawsuit states. On the other hand, they suffered significant economic damage due to medical expenses and other costs.
All of this is a direct result of “negligence and carelessness” on the part of McDonald’s and its employees, the lawsuit alleges.
Hines’ attorney did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for further information, including the exact nature of her illness or injury.
McRib class action lawsuit
As USA TODAY previously reported, McDonald’s has been busy dealing with a class-action lawsuit this year that claims its iconic McRib sandwich contains no ribs and is made entirely with other pork cuts.
“Despite its name and unique shape, the McRib contains no actual pork rib meat at all, although its meat patty is intentionally made to resemble a rack of pork ribs,” the lawyers said in a lawsuit filed in late December.
In a statement shared with USA TODAY in January, McDonald’s said the lawsuit “misrepresents the facts and many of the claims are inaccurate.”
McDonald’s USA said: “We are committed to using authentic, high-quality ingredients across our menus.” “Our fan-favorite McRib sandwiches are made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the United States. We’re always transparent about our ingredients to help our guests make the right choices.”
Lawyers are seeking damages, attorney fees and interest from the participants in the class action lawsuit. They also asked the court to order McDonald’s “to refrain from any further deceptive naming, marketing, or advertising practices regarding the McRib.”
Contributed by Saleen Martin, Mike Snider/USA TODAY
Drew Pittock covers trending news from around the country for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
