A Texas man is suing burger chain Whataburger over onions and he’s asking for almost $1 million for what he said were “personal injuries.”
Demery Ardell Wilson filed a petition last month in Texas’s 269th Judicial District Court of Harris County, which claimed he asked for no onions on his burger, but got some anyway, the “Today” show reported.
Wilson accuses Whataburger of failing “to act in accordance with the appropriate standard of care,” and which caused him to “suffer personal injuries.”
Wilson said he ordered a meal on July 24, 2024, at an undisclosed Whataburger location, USA Today reported, and that when he ate it, he had an allergic reaction that needed medical attention.
He did not specify what he ordered, but the chain’s namesake burger has a beef patty, mustard, tomato, lettuce, pickles and diced onions all served on a bun.
The only allergens listed on the Whataburger website include wheat, soy and gluten, among others. Onions are not among the possible allergens.
Wilson called the meal a “manufacturing defect” that was “unsafe to eat.” The “manufacturing defect” was the inclusion of onions, he said.
He is asking for “monetary relief of over $250,000.00 but less than $1,000,000″ in damages, penalties and costs.
Whataburger denies the allegations and asked for “strict proof” from Wilson, USA Today reported. The company said it did not know or should have known that any product Wilson purchased "was in a defective or unreasonably dangerous condition at the time.”
This is not the first time Wilson has sued over onions. He also sued Sonic Drive-In last year for serving him onions in a meal he purchased on April 14, 2023, the Houston Chronicle reported. He said the onions made him “feel sick” and left him with “serious personal injuries” that made him seek out medical care, USA Today reported.
Sonic also denied the allegations, telling Wilson he should “be required to prove the charges and allegations” against the company, USA Today reported. “Today” said that the lawsuit was thrown out.
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