FAMILY CLAIMS RAT FOUND IN HAMBURGER: MCDONALD’S MEAL TRAUMATIZED GIRL, LAWSUIT SAYS, March 27, 2001
Toronto Star, Robert Cribb
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A Toronto family has, according to this story, filed a $17.5 million lawsuit against McDonald’s after a 9-year-old girl allegedly bit into a burger that contained a crushed rat’s head.
The story explains that the family’s suit against McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Ltd., McDonald’s Corp. and senior company officials stems from an incident they claim happened in June, 1999, at 2625 Weston Rd., just south of the 401.
A statement of claim filed in court was cited as saying that Ayan Abdi Jama was sickened after finding the Big Mac she was eating contained the severed head of a rat, "complete with eyes, teeth, nose and whiskers. As a consequence of this event, Ayan alleges that she suffered physical injury and has suffered, and is continuing to suffer, extensive psychiatric damages.’’
The allegations have not been proved in court.
The story says that hen contacted by The Star, Ronald G. Slaght, the lawyer representing McDonald’s Corp. and two senior company officials, refused comment on the case.
The lawyer representing McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada, two other senior company officials and a restaurant assistant manager, could not be reached for comment.
The claim also states that after the discovery, assistant manager Heath Miller "attempted to confiscate the sandwich," but the girl’s mother, Noora Mohamad, kept it and later had it tested, the claim states.