Restaurant legal stories that caught our attention

Woman sues restaurant over falling moose head

A woman launched legal action against a New York City, White Slab Palace restaurant after she was injured by the décor – after a 150lb stuffed moose’s head fell on her giving her concussion and other injuries.  Unspecified damages were sought and in a twist it appeared that the woman had been an innocent by-standing (sitting under the head) when another customer knocked it off the wall.  It is believed the case settled out of court.

Lesbian sues restaurant over bathroom fiasco

It was reported that a New York woman says she was thrown out of a ladies toilet in a restaurant.  But the person who threw her our says she thought she was a man.  Outcome unknown.

Gay Waiter who claimed he had his nipples tweaked by customer sue Michelin starred restaurant

Reported in The Telegraph back in Nov 10, Vincent Ma sued his employers Yauatcha Chinese Restaurant in Soho, London claiming disability discrimination and harassment on the grounds of his sexual orientation.  Citing various claims of harassment at the hands of his managers and for being asked ‘do you like it’ when he complained of his nipples being tweaked by a gay customer.  He also claimed that the restaurant failed in its care after he was diagnosed with diabetes and was unable to carry heavy objects walking up and down stairs and had insufficient rest and meal breaks in accordance with his strict diet to control his blood glucose levels.  Hakkasan Limited, the owning restaurant group denies Mr Ma’s claim.

Man sues restaurant after eating a whole artichoke

A Miami doctor is suing a restaurant for not teaching him how to eat an artichoke.  Arturo Carvajal says he was hospitalised after eating an entire grilled artichoke at a branch of Houston’s and is seeking $15,000 (£9,500) for pain and medical expenses.  Apparently it was his first time eating the vegetable and he didn’t know he was only supposed to eat the fleshy meat on the leaves.  The vice president of the chain said “What’s next?  Are we going to have to post warnings on our menu they shouldn’t eat the bones in our barbeque ribs?.”  Outcome yet to be determined.

Man sues for permanent injuries from unpitted olive

US. Rep. Dennis Kucinich is suing a restaurant for $150,000 for selling him a sandwich containing an unpitted olive.  The olive caused Mr Kucinich “serious and permanent injuries” as well as “pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment,” according to a complaint filed in Superior Court in Washington, D.C.  The congressman is suing the company that operates the cafeteria, Restaurant Associates, along with its parent company, Compass Group USA.  He is also suing two food supply companies.  The complaint accuses all four companies of negligence.  Mr Kucinich, who has called for a single-payer health system and also unsuccessfully attempted to win the democratic nomination for president in 2004 and 2008 elections, says in his suit that the olive caused him to have multiple surgical and dental procedures.

Michel Roux sued for keeping  a guest awake all night in holiday cottage next to Waterside Inn

Kevin Andrews, a property developer, claimed he and his wife were kept awake all night by noisy heating problems that were “something like a Carry On film”.  He sought £550 refund for the cost of their stay in the cottage in June 09 and £200 damages.  He said “The food in the restaurant was fine but there were some really strange noises coming from the heating in the cottage.”  Mr Roux had offered to send his wife flowers or to give a bottle of champagne but he, at that point, had decided to take it further as he had not thought that a reasonable way of settling it.  However, District Court Judge Trent found Andrews had received ‘an excess of good service’ and subsequently dismissed the case as unjustified.  Michel Roux said that the court case had been a ‘shame’.  “He’s been complaining about something that doesn’t exist.  I’m a three star Michelin chef, I’ve got a few rooms and they are amongst the best in the UK.” Adding, “If we commit something wrong or if there is a mistake made somewhere we are the first to put it right but in this case there was nothing wrong.”

Mans sues for $1,000,000 for knife in bread

A 27 year old New Yorker is suing Subway because he took a bite of a sandwich and found a 7 inch knife baked into the bread.  The knife did not cut him and he did not swallow it.  The reason he is suing is because he was violently ill with “severe stomach issues” for three hours and he claims that he caught food poisoning from the handle of the knife which was plastic and, according to the man, filthy.  He is suing for £1,000,000.

Pizzeria fined over tooth topping

A restaurant in Florence was appealing against a suit filed after a customer found a human tooth in his pizza crust.  Refusing the risk of a complimentary supper, the customer sued and the restaurant was fined 3,000 euros (£2,100) for lack of hygiene.  The restaurant lawyer protested “It’s insanity.” Adding “How is the owner of the pizzeria going to force employees to go to the dentist every day (who teaches about how to clean electric toothbrush easily which helps to take out the food that struck in the gaps) or strap a lid over their mouths?”.  In court he argued they had to wear hats or nets to cover their hair, but not surgical masks. The unidentified customer paid the bill, but refused a free meal to patch things over and instead took legal action.  The owner of the tooth was never identified and the restaurant refused to discuss how it got into the pizza in the first place.

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