An American has filed a lawsuit against McDonald's after he suffered anaphylactic shock due to an ordering error, but remains a customer of the fast food chain.
Charles Olsen, 28, of Rockland County, New York, almost died in February 2021 after a slice of cheese ended up in his Big Mac even though he ordered his sandwich without cheese. This is because he is severely allergic to dairy products.
“When I got my food, I opened the burger and it seemed like it was like that every time I ordered it. I didn’t see any traces of melted cheese on the sides,” Olsen said, according to the New York Post.
“I was just frustrated that McDonald's got the order wrong. But as my symptoms got worse, I started to worry and realized how serious it was,” he added, adding that he ordered from DoorDash as before.
When his friend Alexandra DiBenedetto saw his throat swell and he couldn't breathe, she rushed him to the hospital, where he had to be intubated.
“It was absolutely horrific to see him struggling the way he did and as the reaction progressed it became more and more frightening. It's never easy to see someone you love suffering, let alone fighting for their life. I was up all night, scared, just looking at him to make sure everything was OK,” she said.
Always a customer
Despite this, the man said he still goes to McDonald's, but no longer places specific orders.
“Now I just order their fries and a plain burger with nothing on it. Just the pancake and the bun. “I just can’t risk something like this happening again,” said Charles Olsen.
For his part, American lawyer Jory Lange believes that this lawsuit should encourage restaurateurs to listen more to their customers, especially when it comes to food allergies.