LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) — A Los Angeles County couple are suing a food manufacturer, claiming intentional infliction of emotional distress after allegedly finding maggots in their sunflower seeds.
Larriel Williams and Lalonie Williams filed a class action complaint, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, Oct. 11 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Pepsico Inc., doing business as Spitz International, and Does 1-10, alleging failure to exercise standard care in handling food products.
According to the complaint, on Feb. 2, Larriel Williams and Lalonie Williams purchased Spitz sunflower seeds, an edible food product manufactured by the defendants, from a Chevron store at South Avalon Boulevard in Carson, California. However, the suit says, they found the product contained maggots and dirt that rendered it inedible and unfit for consumption.
The lawsuit states when the plaintiffs returned the item to the store to complain, they discovered all the defendant's products in the store were in the same condition.
The plaintiffs allege the defendants failed to prevent the contamination of the product, failed to implement or perform inspection and monitoring of the product, and failed to properly supervise, train and monitor its employees to ensure the manufacture, distribution or sale of food free from potentially dangerous contaminants.
Larriel and Lalonie Williams seek trial by jury, certification of the case as a class action, appoint the plaintiffs as class representatives and counsel, corrective advertising, damages, attorney fees, court costs, interest and all other just relief. They are represented by attorneys Todd M. Friedman, Adrian R. Bacon, Meghan E. George and Thomas E. Wheeler of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman PC in Woodland Hills, California.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Case number 16-cv-07569