Florida Woman Files $5 Million Lawsuit Over Mac & Cheese
The lovely state of Florida is well-known for being home to Florida Man, but in this developing story, Florida Woman takes center stage in a bizarre lawsuit over misleading claims regarding prep time for Kraft Mac & Cheese. This totally normal news comes from the local WFLA news station, reporting out of Hialeah, which is part of Miami-Dade County. Sometimes, as in the famous case of the woman suing McDonald’s over hot coffee, what looks like a frivolous lawsuit is actually important and deals with real harm, but this Kraft Mac & Cheese lawsuit is not one of those cases.
The complaint comes from the misleading prep time listed on the box of the 8-pack, single serve Velveeta Shells & Cheese, which says 3 and a half minutes. According to the official mac and cheese lawsuit filed in a legitimate court of law, the 3 and a half minute claim does not take into account prep time. Amanda Ramirez, listed as the plaintiff on the lawsuit, is represented by Attorney Will Wright, also out of South Florida.
Ramirez’s lawyer shared a quote with WFLA, stating “deceptive advertising is deceptive advertising.” Going on, Wright explains “Kraft charges extra for a desirable feature but the marketing is false, it takes far longer for the product to be ready than as advertised.” Wording from the mac and cheese lawsuit explains that the plaintiff believes the packaging should say that it takes “three and a half minutes in the microwave.”
Kraft Heinz, when asked to provide comment by reporters, stated they “are aware of this frivolous lawsuit and will strongly defend against the allegations in the complaint.” The mac and cheese lawsuit seeks $5 million in damages, including punitive damages for the corporation. Ramirez and her lawyer have not disclosed how they arrived at the total sum of $5 million.
Amazingly, the mac and cheese lawsuit is not one of the most frivolous of all time, that title is up for grabs among some infamous court filings. One in particular, from 1991, was filed by a man claiming that Budweiser beer failed to help him attract a beautiful woman. Referencing the marketing used for the product, the plaintiff was asking for $10,000 in emotional damages before the case was dismissed.
Unlike the Budweiser and mac and cheese lawsuits, the famous McDonald’s case, when investigated deeper, showed physical and emotional trauma experienced by the plaintiff. After receiving coffee served between 180 and 190 degrees, the plaintiff spilled it, resulting in third-degree burns over 6% of her body. In that case, the plaintiff won $640,000 from McDondald’s.
It is exceedingly unlikely that the mac and cheese lawsuit will result in a large payout for the plaintiff, despite her attorney’s claims of misleading advertising. Typically, strange lawsuits such as this one make a big splash when initially filed before being dismissed prior to reaching the trial stage. That being said, if a particularly lenient judge reads into the law around advertising in a way that could result in opening the floodgates against deceptive practices, there is a chance, a small one, that this lawsuit could be heard in a courtroom.
