Need Help Suing McDonalds!

[skoker]

(First of all, I'd like to acknowledge the fact that I'm only 16, but a 5 year old is suing, so why can't I?)

I don't know how many of you follow the news, but recently it was revealed by McDonalds, the fast-food empire, that they have been using milk as flavoring in their french fries without indicating this on the ingredients list. For most people this doesn't seem to be a problem, but for me it is, as I'm VERY allergic to milk and milk products, and have become very ill after eating McDonalds food, once even requiring hospitalization for dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhea.

Anyways, to make a long story short my parents (shock!) told me I should see if I can get something out of them, seeing as they've caused me a lot of physical pain and suffering over the last 13 or so years due to their negligence. I'd like to send them a letter requesting that they settle with me somehow outside of court and so that the media doesn't get involved, but I'm also ready to involve a lawyer if need be.

So I guess my question is this:

What should I ask for, how should I ask for it, and what else do I need to know?

Your help is greatly appreciated with this
-skoker

 

[2nyRiggz]

Good luck...suing The Big McD has been tried before....13years later? that sounds kinda long winded but i'm no lawyer.


Bless

 

[mad jew]

What should I ask for

A lawyer.

how should I ask for it

Perhaps over the phone? And very nicely.

and what else do I need to know?

Suing doesn't solve anything and it certainly won't put that lost vomit and diarrhoea back inside of you. That's gone forever.

 

[Applespider]

So you ate at McD's, you were hospitalised and you continued to go back and eat there again?

I could accept you asking for something for the occasion on which you were hospitalised - although you'll need some evidence to back up that it was McD's who caused it. But for the ongoing suffering caused by continuing to eat there; nope.

A letter isn't going to get you jack - except a maybe a free Big Mac voucher. If you really want to do it, get a lawyer to tell you what your chances are.

 

[plinden]

So ... I can see how if you ate in MacDonald's for the first time, and you got sick, you would want something from them, but Ihow often have you eaten there and how often have you got sick?

If MacDonald's food made you sick once, and you know that's what made you sick, why did you go back?

If you were too young to make up your own mind, why didn't your parents make sure you didn't go back?

Sorry, I don't have much sympathy with you, but years after I got sick from a bowl of chilli, I still can't face the thought of eating it.

 

[skoker]

Good luck...suing The Big McD has been tried before....13years later? that sounds kinda long winded but i'm no lawyer.


Bless

It's not 13 years later, it's been going on for 13 years and now that I know why I'm holding them responsible for how they poisoned my body.

 

[skoker]

So ... I can see how if you ate in MacDonald's for the first time, and you got sick, you would want something from them, but Ihow often have you eaten there and how often have you got sick?

If MacDonald's food made you sick once, and you know that's what made you sick, why did you go back?

If you were too young to make up your own mind, why didn't your parents make sure you didn't go back?

Sorry, I don't have much sympathy with you, but years after I got sick from a bowl of chilli, I still can't face the thought of eating it.

Valid points, but I had no way of knowing that it was the McDonalds food that did it because the symptoms didn't always show up immediately. It wasn't until the hospital analyzed my 'eating journals' that I had to keep for a unrelated cause that somebody there finally put two and two together and figured out why this was happening.

 

[Heb1228]

Ween you said you wanted help suing McDonalds, I thought you wanted someone to sever their finger and plant it in a McFlurry.

 

[skoker]

Ween you said you wanted help suing McDonalds, I thought you wanted someone to sever their finger and plant it in a McFlurry.

te he!

 

[~Shard~]

I think I'll be a bastard and play devil's advocate on this one...

McDonald's food is horrible for you in the first place. It is full of toxins, preservatives, full of sugar, sodium, saturated and trans fats, and contains zero nutritional value whatsoever. I could argue that by going to McDonald's you don't care about your health in the first place since you're essentially choosing to eat crap, so why should you be able to sue them when you have health issues like this? Especially when it comes to French Fries which are one of the worst items on their menu to begin with? If you think milk is the only ingredient McDonald's is "omitting" from their published list, that's pretty naive.

Kay, that was fun. Seriously though, yeah, I realize serious allegries are nothing to joke about, and it is not the same situation as someone with no allergies whatsoever eating there. It's about McDonald's keeping vital information like that from the public (which is nothing new). I don't think you'll have any luck, but good luck to you anyway. Just having some fun with ya...

 

[skoker]

I think I'll be a bastard and play devil's advocate on this one...

McDonald's food is horrible for you in the first place. It is full of toxins, preservatives, full of sugar, sodium, saturated and trans fats, and contains zero nutritional value whatsoever. I could argue that by going to McDonald's you don't care about your health in the first place since you're essentially choosing to eat crap, so why should you be able to sue them when you have health issues like this? Especially when it comes to French Fries which are one of the worst items on their menu to begin with? If you think milk is the only ingredient McDonald's is "omitting" from their published list, that's pretty naive.

Kay, that was fun. Seriously though, yeah, I realize serious allegries are nothing to joke about, and it is not the same situation as someone with no allergies whatsoever eating there. It's about McDonald's keeping vital information like that from the public (which is nothing new). I don't think you'll have any luck, but good luck to you anyway. Just having some fun with ya...

I'm pretty sure when I was five I didn't have any control where or what I ate.

 

[amacgenius]

I think it's a lost cause and the queen is crazy - you're not gonna get anything out of them because they forgot the lactose intolerant people.

Edit 1: If you decide to persue this seemingly useless venture, the most I think they'll do is reemburse you for the time you spent in the hospital (eventhough it was probably covered by insurance) and some gift certs (that's what they sent Haji cuz they forgot to give him hashbrowns :/).

Edit 2: And no offense dude, when I saw the title of this thread in the RSS feed I thought some idiot n00b posted it.

(Man, that's 2 edits already.)

 

[freeny]

Do as MadJew says and call a lawyer. Asking MR members legal questions is a pretty silly idea and destined for failure IMHO.

I dont see this being a McDonalds is bad for you in the first place issue. What if it were the Olive garden? Salad Hut? or Whole foods? would it make it any different? They were not disclosing a potentionally harmfull ingredient.

Personally you may have something but only a lawyer can answer your questions. Lawyers will give a free consoltation to see if you have a suit so go ahead and ask. It wont cost a penny.

 

[LethalWolfe]

I'm pretty sure when I was five I didn't have any control where or what I ate.

Funny, my family has many humorous stories of me refusing to eat what they wanted me to eat when I was a kid...

Anyway, have you tried contacting some ambulance chasing, litigious whore of a lawyer yet?

Not to be a dick, but how did you not realize that McDonald's wasn't setting off your allergies? I mean, I don't have any major food allergies, but I know what types of food and specific restaurants don't sit well with me. It doesn't take much to realize, "Hey, every time I eat X I have a horrible allergic reaction soon after. I wonder if I'm allergic to X?"


Lethal

 

[weckart]

McDonalds has been sued before. It is not for the faint-hearted. The company has endless resources to throw at shysters. You don't.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLibel_case

The case has now been made into a film which is being released now in the UK.

http://www.spannerfilms.net/mclibel

 

[skoker]

I think it's a lost cause and the queen is crazy - you're not gonna get anything out of them because they forgot the lactose intolerant people.

Edit 1: If you decide to persue this seemingly useless venture, the most I think they'll do is reemburse you for the time you spent in the hospital (eventhough it was probably covered by insurance) and some gift certs (that's what they sent Haji cuz they forgot to give him hashbrowns :/).

Edit 2: And no offense dude, when I saw the title of this thread in the RSS feed I thought some idiot n00b posted it.

(Man, that's 2 edits already.)

Actually it was my idea and the queen (my mother for the un-enlightened) backed it up.

Additionally, it's not really even (well fine, it is) about the fact that I got sick, it's that people can DIE from food allergies, and many people die every year from peanut/seafood/other (milk included) allergies.

 

[skoker]

Do as MadJew says and call a lawyer. Asking MR members legal questions is a pretty silly idea and destined for failure IMHO.

I dont see this being a McDonalds is bad for you in the first place issue. What if it were the Olive garden? Salad Hut? or Whole foods? would it make it any different? They were not disclosing a potentionally harmfull ingredient.

Personally you may have something but only a lawyer can answer your questions. Lawyers will give a free consoltation to see if you have a suit so go ahead and ask. It wont cost a penny.

Thanks for the info. I was unaware that lawyers did such a thing.

 

[amacgenius]

Actually it was my idea and the queen (my mother for the un-enlightened) backed it up.

Additionally, it's not really even (well fine, it is) about the fact that I got sick, it's that people can DIE from food allergies, and many people die every year from peanut/seafood/other (milk included) allergies.

True, but you didn't die, and that's how they'll look at it, and if anything they'll come out and mention the milk in the products, because you didn't get seriously injured, just hospitalized they won't care.

Welcome to McCorporate!

 

[skoker]

Funny, my family has many humorous stories of me refusing to eat what they wanted me to eat when I was a kid...

Anyway, have you tried contacting some ambulance chasing, litigious whore of a lawyer yet?

Not to be a dick, but how did you not realize that McDonald's wasn't setting off your allergies? I mean, I don't have any major food allergies, but I know what types of food and specific restaurants don't sit well with me. It doesn't take much to realize, "Hey, every time I eat X I have a horrible allergic reaction soon after. I wonder if I'm allergic to X?"


Lethal

It's not as easy as saying "oh geez, McDonalds food made me sick" as sometimes the symptoms could take 24-48 hours to show up depending on how much I ate and what I ate in the time surrounding it. It was the skilled worker at the hospital I was once rushed to to realize that McDonalds was the common link. I'm sure we've all had experiences where food hasn't sat right with us, and for the most part that doesn't stop us from eating it, which is what happened here.

 

[skoker]

True, but you didn't die, and that's how they'll look at it, and if anything they'll come out and mention the milk in the products, because you didn't get seriously injured, just hospitalized they won't care.

Welcome to McCorporate!

They did come out and say that milk has been used all along in there products, otherwise I wouldn't have posted this thread.

EDIT: looking at a lawyer's website I found, food allergies in court are often considered 'disabilities'. I wonder if this is a violation of the Americans With Disabilities act? (of which I know nothing about)

 

[mad jew]

If your intention is to make McDonalds clearly label what their food contains, then don't bother with a lawyer. I thought you just wanted to get something from them.

Rather than a lawyer, I'd write them a nice letter outlining what happened and requesting that they label their food better in future. IMO, it's the best you can do.

Strangely, here in Australia McDonalds has to be kept accountable by law. They must outline every ingredient they use if asked. There are nutritional information leaflets in each outlet (others may call them restaurants). I would have thought the USA would have similar laws.

 

[Melkor]

I hate people like you who try to sue large companys. It really pisses me off. So you go sick from McDonalds food, tough ****. Get over it.

It's because of people like you that insurance is so high for smaller companys.

 

[blackfox]

I am not an expert in this field (at all), but my opinion:

I generally hate the american propensity to sue. If you are first and foremost looking for financial restitution - I am not sure I side with you, despite what has happened to you.

If you wanted, however, to make McDonalds accountable for this deception, you might look around to form a class-action lawsuit with others who have been effected such as you have. Enlist a lawyer, and possibly involve the media. Make some headlines and at least make McDonalds think twice about such activities in the future. Maybe there would be some financial gain - at least to cover legal fees.

I think you would have a better chance as a group than as an individual. But I am not a lawyer.

 

[mad jew]

I generally hate the american propensity to sue.

How about the American propensity to eat McDonalds and then sue...

 

[~Shard~]

I'm pretty sure when I was five I didn't have any control where or what I ate.

I know - as I said, I was just playing devil's advocate.

I dont see this being a McDonalds is bad for you in the first place issue. What if it were the Olive garden? Salad Hut? or Whole foods? would it make it any different? They were not disclosing a potentionally harmfull ingredient.

Exactly. But, as I said, with McDonald's, do you think they have disclosed all their potentialy harmful ingredients? Not a chance - it's McDonald's. Hell, their main ingredients which are public knowledge are harmful, so why would anyone eat there in the first place knowing that? And why would anyone take their kids there? That's horrible and irresponsible - kids whose bodies are growing and developing and need the proper nourishment, vitamins and nutrients, and what do they get at McDonald's? Sugar-filled, preservative-laced, fatty crap. And people wonder why childhood obesity is such an issue... this is deifnitely one of the primary factors.

There's no way my kids are ever eating at fast food places like that when they're young. When they're older, sure, they can do as they like, but they will sure as hell be educated on what kind of junk they're putting into their bodies if they do indeed want to do that.
Ah, being a ranting bastard is fun!