Burger King sued over the size of Whoppers
What happened today? There is news that "Burger King is being sued because of the size of the Whoppers". A judge in the US has rejected Burger King's application to dismiss a lawsuit accusing it of deceiving customers by making Whopper sandwiches that look bigger than they are.
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| A class action lawsuit claims Burger King’s ads overstate the amount of meat in its Whopper burger and other sandwiches. (Photo: MATT CARDY/GETTY IMAGES) |
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman in Miami said Burger King must defend itself against claims that images of Whoppers on its menu boards inside the store misled customers, amounting to breach of contract.
Burger King Accused of Showing Burger Images That Didn't Match Its Contents
Customers in the class-action lawsuit allege Burger King showed images of burgers with contents "spilling over bread," making them look 35 percent larger and appear to contain meat twice as large as those served by the franchise.
Burger King, a unit of Restaurant Brands International, denied that it was not obligated to serve burgers that look exactly like images on the menu, but the judge said it was up to the jury to "tell us what sane people think."
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In its ruling, published Friday, Altman also allowed customers to raise exaggerated charges on negligent and unfair grounds.
The judge rejected claims based on TV and online ads that Burger King did not promise the "size" or weight of burgers.
"The plaintiff's allegations are false," Burger King said on Tuesday. "The fire roast beef patties shown in our ads are the same buns used in the millions of Whopper sandwiches we serve to guests across the country."
Lawyers for the plaintiffs have not commented on the matter. Previous attempts to mediate the case were unsuccessful.
McDonald's and Wendy's defended similar claims in federal court in Brooklyn, New York. Lawyers for the plaintiffs there on Monday cited Altman's opinion to justify the case moving forward.
Taco Bell, a unit of Yum Brands, was last month sued in a Brooklyn court for selling Crunchwraps and Mexican pizzas that allegedly contained only half of the advertised stuffing.
Such a lawsuit could result in the payment of at least $5 million in damages.
Source: Reuters