Back in September I wrote this piece – More on the 2nd McDonalds suit. Over the past 2 days it has received several comments. I did not understand what was happening. Then I saw that the lawsuit had become a class action suit – Lawsuit claims McDonald’s burgers and fries are making kids fat
Lawyers have filed a class-action lawsuit against McDonald’s on behalf of New York children who have suffered health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
In federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday, a lawyer alleged that the fast-food chain has created a national epidemic of obese children. Samuel Hirsch argued that the high fat, sugar and cholesterol content of McDonald’s food is “a very insipid, toxic kind of thing” when ingested regularly by young kids.
The plaintiffs include a Bronx teen who ate every meal at McDonald’s for three years while living in a homeless shelter. Another is a 13-year-old boy from Staten Island who says he ate at McDonald’s food three to four times a week and is now 5-foot-4 and 278 pounds.
McDonald’s lawyer Brad Lerman insisted the lawsuit was a frivolous attempt to cash in on the Golden Arches, “the kind of lawsuit that shouldn’t be in court.”
“People don’t go to sleep thin and wake up obese,” Lerman said. “The understanding and comprehension of what hamburgers and french fries do has been with us for a long, long time.”
Suits like this one will cost taxpayers money. Having such suits in our courts makes no sense. I hope the defending lawyers explain that obesity does not just come from food. These teenagers probably have no exercise regimen. Should he sue the schools for having ineffective physical education programs? Or should he sue the gangs for making the streets unsafe? Or should he sue the TV networks for providing entertainment which makes teenagers couch potatoes?
It does not seem that this subject will go away quickly. But I wish it would.
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1 Response to McDonald’s class action suit
lk
November 22nd, 2002 at 10:01 am
America is a great country, but if I had to list the top 10 items wrong with the US, lawsuits like this would be in it. The Republicans ran a very effective ad publicizing the cost (referred to as a “tax”) on everyday items that covers litigation expenses. All litigation is not bad, but stuff like this (McDonalds)should be dismissed quickly. (And this from a lawyer)
lk