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Florida man suing McDonald's for alleged injury caused by Chicken McNugget

Alexei Stolfat said he wasn't interested in becoming famous and filed his lawsuit to "protect" other people.
McDonalds Feature
In his complaint, Alexei Stolfat stressed that McNuggets should not contain any bones.Steve Parsons / PA Images via Getty Images
/ Source: TODAY

A man in Palm Beach, Florida, has filed a lawsuit against McDonald's after, according to the complaint, he broke his tooth on a bone while biting into a Chicken McNugget.

Alexei Stolfat, 39, is seeking a recall of McNuggets "to avoid massive consumer injuries" and $1.1 million, in part, to cover the expenses for his dental injury, per his lawsuit. The document, which was filed in federal court on Sept. 14 and obtained by TODAY, also spells how out the incident allegedly took place.

On May 25, Stolfat and his wife ordered McDonald's delivery via Uber Eats. When he started eating, he allegedly felt something hard on the right side of his mouth, followed by "unbearable jaw pain." He then allegedly pulled a bone, about .8 inches long, out of his mouth. For the next few days, according to the court document, he felt a toothache and a headache.

The chicken nugget that allegedly broke Stolfat's tooth.
The chicken nugget that allegedly broke Stolfat's tooth.Courtesy Alexei Stolfat

On May 29, Stolfat went to a dentist, who allegedly discovered two "microcracks" in his tooth. The documents said that Stolfat does not have dental insurance and could not cover the expenses, and he told TODAY Food that it would take at least six months for him to have his tooth replaced.

"I’m not looking to be famous in this case or something like that," Stolfat, who is from Estonia, told TODAY. "I want to help other people, to protect them and tell them to be very careful with McNuggets."

Stolfat allegedly found a .8-inch bone in a Chicken McNugget.
Stolfat allegedly found a .8-inch bone in a Chicken McNugget.Courtesy Alexei Stolfat

In his complaint, he stressed that McNuggets should not contain any bones, as the McDonald's website says they are made from "White Boneless Chicken."

McDonald's responded to the alleged incident in a statement provided to TODAY: "Providing safe, high quality food is always our top priority, and both our restaurants and our suppliers follow rigorous quality control standards. We take these claims seriously and are looking into this complaint."

Stolfat also said that he plans to donate most of the amount that he's seeking to charity, after he pays for his dental expenses and keeps some for mental and emotional distress.

McDonald's has been sued frequently in the past by customers with complaints about its products, with varying degrees of severity. A 79-year-old woman suffered third-degree burns when she spilled McDonald's coffee in her lap in 1994. In 2000, a Tennessee woman sued for $100,000, claiming her face was permanently scarred after a hot pickle from a hamburger fell onto her chin. In 2003, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit alleging food from McDonald's is responsible for making people obese. And in 2018, two McDonald's customers from Florida unsuccessfully sued the fast-food giant after they said they had to pay for cheese they didn't want on their Quarter Pounders.

EDITOR'S NOTE (Sept. 24, 2020, 5:09 p.m. EST): This article has been updated with a statement from McDonald's.