The Reason McDonald's Canada Was Sued For Its Happy Meals
Any big company is likely no stranger to a fair share of legal affairs, and McDonald's has had quite a few. Mental Floss mentioned quite a few odd cases. One involved two Fort Lauderdale residents suing the chain for pricing the Quarter Pounder burgers at full price even though the two requested no cheese, alleging it should have been priced at 30 cents less.
Another odd case involved an employee who alleged that McDonald's low wages forced her to find a side hustle as a "sex worker." Consumer Attorneys of California covered a case in which a woman sued because the McDonald's drive-thru served her a coffee she said was too hot, and then she spilled it on her lap. Not to mention, they have been sued for more serious issues of racism and commercial scandals. But surely kids who get Happy Meals are too young to start a suit, right?
The not so Happy Meal
While kids cannot file a suit on their own behalf, parents certainly can, and one recently did. And it was not just about the Happy Meal itself, but the way it was advertised. The father of a child in Quebec, according to the BBC, alleged that McDonald's advertising cannot legally be aimed at children under 13 years of age, filing a class action lawsuit to back his claims.
Mr. Antonio Bramante has three children, and he seemingly claimed they bully him into getting McDonald's every few weeks at the least, causing "hundreds of dollars" in spending for the greasy goodness and the toys they come with, which often feature characters from upcoming movies that kids are likely to want to see. So instead of picking a fight with his three young kids, he decided to take on an entire franchise and put money behind that venture, using a law in Quebec which "prohibits marketing to children under the age of 13." Seems it may have been easier to buy the Happy Meal, but to each their own.