A Look At A Dunkin Donuts Lawsuit
A Dunkin Donuts lawsuit is a common theme in many legal disputes of recent years. A family was dining at their local Dunkin Donuts, and while they were waiting for their order to be served, the employee in the store called their son over.
The younger boy asked what they had to do for the order to be ready, and the attendant answered, “I’ll be right back with it.” The customer asked again and was told by the attendant that they would have to come back another day. The family was upset because the young boy had just ordered a sub sandwich that the store claimed was free.
Dunkin Donuts Lawsuit Franchise
The family filed a wrongful death claim against the restaurant, claiming that the boy died from suffocating under the weight of his own vomit. The suit further claims that the owner of the business knew or should have known that the sandwich was dangerous and could cause harm to someone.
The owners of the company were aware of these problems with the food long before this incident took place. In fact, according to the complaint, the manager of the Dunkin Donuts at the time of the incident could not recall whether or not such a thing happened. He also stated that he never heard of a claim being filed in this case. This is consistent with statements by witnesses who claimed that the boy’s aunt came in with a complaint about the menu and the food.
The restaurant was eventually closed, and a memorial was held for the boy. One week later, the same outlet was vandalized.
There were small rocks thrown at the window, along with a baseball bat and a bottle broken on the counter. This followed the same complaints made by the boy’s aunt.
The restaurant’s attorney sent out a letter to the media stating that the owner of the franchised outlet has been placed on leave and the company will be conducting an investigation into the matter.
Reports have indicated that this review is ongoing. No injuries have yet been reported. As with any local franchising outlet, this one is owned by a corporation and is therefore subject to corporate policies and procedures. It is unknown at this time if any disciplinary actions have been taken against the franchisor in the matter.
The incident has led to a class-action lawsuit against the franchisor.
The question that arises from this is whether or not the franchisor should be held responsible for injuries that occur as a result of their franchising system. Is it fair to hold a young child responsible for the injuries that he or she may receive when they eat at Dunkin Donuts? If so, what type of consequences may result? These lawsuits have led to questions about how far a franchisor should go to protect its reputation. Should it be held liable for injuries that may arise in the course of operating its franchises?
Weighing the merits of the situation will no doubt be helpful to those that have either witnessed an assault or an attempted mugging.
The outcome of such an event may have profound consequences for not only one franchise, but the entire franchising system. If the facts of one story ends badly, could a similar outcome occur with another franchise? What is to prevent a litigant from winning and obtaining compensation for their pain and suffering? These questions are all important to the future of Dunkin’ Donuts franchises everywhere.
