Woman claims she bit into severed finger in salad from popular chain

Lawsuit filed against Chopt in Westchester County, New York

A woman has claimed she found a part of a finger in her salad, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday against the New York restaurant, Chopt (Charles Guerin / Abaca Press/ Sipa USA via AP)

A woman is suing the popular New York salad chain Chopt after claiming she found part of a severed finger in her meal.

According to the lawsuit filed in Westchester County Supreme Court on Monday, the woman suffered “serious personal injuries,” including traumatic stress, cognitive impairment, vomiting and shoulder pain after biting into the partially severed finger on 7 April.

The piece of finger belonged to a manager who had been cutting arugula, the suit states. It alleges the contaminated arugula was left in the service line after the employee went to the hospital.

The lawsuit notes that the restaurant did not contest a ticket and $900 fine issued by the local Health Department for failing to prevent imminent health hazards in September.

The filing - which does not state specific damages sought - alleges the restaurant and its employees were reckless, careless and negligent.

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Marc Reibman, told NBC his client does not have any comment beyond the lawsuit.

“She does not want to increase the stress and anxiety that this incident has caused her,” he said, adding: “As a matter of common sense and public interest, the failure to supervise the preparation and service of food in a manner that protects the public is a blatant deviation from accepted safe practice and deserves significant compensation.”

The Independent has contacted Chopt for comment.

The chain has more than 70 locations across the eastern United States.