"lawsuit" news and stories

An Iraqi War veteran is suing McDonald's for $10 million after alleging he was beaten for bringing his service dog into the restaurant.

Retired Army Capt. Luis Montalvan, an Iraqi War veteran who earned two Bronze Stars, filed a lawsuit claiming he was assaulted by employees of a Brooklyn franchise, the New York Post reports.

Montalvan claims workers at the Brooklyn McDonald's franchise hit him with the lids to plastic garbage cans when he tried to enter with his golden retriever, named Tuesday. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, and said the beating left him with back and neck injuries, the Post reports.

"We take these matters seriously," a spokeswoman for McDonald's told Slashfood. "We investigate all allegations to gather the facts, and where necessary, take action consistent with our policies.

"Our policy is to permit service animals to accompany customers with disabilities, in our restaurants. We comply with all applicable laws, including the American Disabilities Act."

A new class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday in Connecticut alleges McDonald's, Burger King and Friendly's failed to warn customers that their grilled chicken could cause cancer.

The suit, filed by two Connecticut residents in the Superior Court of the State of Connecticut: Judicial District of Hartford, claims the chains failed to warn consumers that they're serving grilled poultry containing the compound PhIP, which the state of California considers to be a carcinogen. A similar lawsuit filed in California last month against KFC targeted the Colonel's Kentucky Grilled Chicken.

The Cancer Project, the nonprofit that filed the suit on behalf of the residents, says eating PhIP -- even in small amounts -- can increase one's risk of cancer.

"Consumers deserve to know that grilled chicken from McDonald's and other fast-food chains can increase your risk of cancer," Cancer Project President Dr. Neal D. Barnard said in a statement. "Even a grilled-chicken salad increases the risk of developing some cancers, including breast and prostate cancer."

But a McDonald's spokeswoman said customer "safety and well-being" is a "top priority."

"Scientific research shows that PhIP is naturally occurring, and is created when chicken is grilled -- whether at home -- or in a restaurant. It may be present at low concentrations in oven-broiled, pan-fried, and grilled meats, as a result of normal cooking," Cynthia Goody, McDonald's nutrition director, said. "There is no scientific evidence to suggest the small amount of PhIP that can be created as a by-product of cooking methods humans have employed for thousands of years, poses a health risk.

"Like other restaurant companies and food establishments, at McDonald's, we continue to look to the FDA and USDA for their guidance on PhIP," her statement continued. "Beyond that, because this is a pending legal matter, it would be inappropriate to further comment or speculate."

McDonald's at Chicago's Navy Pier. Photo: jwrb,Flickr.

A Chicago man has filed a lawsuit against McDonald's Corporation after he says he swallowed a gold earring in his sandwich.

The man purchased the sandwich on Aug. 11 from the McDonald's at Chicago's Navy Pier, according to the suit filed on Wednesday in the circuit court of Cook County, Ill.

Wolfgang Puck. Photo: Lisa Romerein.

Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck has been sued over his attempt to develop the .food domain in cyberspace.

Minds+Machines, a company that had partnered with the Spago restaurant owner on the project, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Tuesday alleging breach of contract as well as tortious interference and fraud on the part of Puck's wife, Gelila. The suit demands $5 million from the Pucks.

Earlier this year, Wolfgang Puck and Gelila Puck had announced their partnership with the company to develop .food Internet addresses.

"This is a great way for the finest food enterprises to stand out from the crowd on the Internet," Puck said in June. "Owning a .FOOD address is like opening a business on the best street in any city in the world."

Photo: LionsTap.com

A small fry is going after a super-sized giant.

McDonald's has been sued by a Minnesota burger joint over the use of the phrase "Who's Your Patty?" Lions Tap of Eden Prairie, Minn., has filed a copyright suit in U.S. District Court over the Golden Arches' use of the phrase in conjunction with their Angus Third Pounder burger advertisements, Nation's Restaurant News reports.

Lions Tap, which has been serving up burgers since 1958, registered the phrase with the state of Minnesota four years ago, according to the court documents.