DENNISJ.

KUCINICH,
SUPERIOR
COURTOF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
CNIL DIVISION

ctvLAcrIoNNo.0 00 C025-
h
11
12217Milan Avenue
Cleveland,
OH 4411I

Plaintiff,

v.

RESTAURANT ASSOCIATES, INC. COMPLAINT

o, c/o CT Corporation
System
:
:
l0l5 l5'bStreet,
N.W.Ste.1000 EndorsedHereon
; Washington, DC 20005
<s
co
-j=

c( ) tQq and
rt
E{ COMPASSGROUPUSA,INC.
t6
c/o CT Corporation
;i: F 1015ls'hStreet,
System
N.W.Ste.1000
HEcls Washington,DC 20005
3*I's
1uf=g
Eo
o-.
and
d-
Gi!
lUu
!oE PERFORMANCE FOODGROUPCO.
fr" c/oNationalRegistered
Agents,Inc.
Eo
z* 2300HillsboroRoad
z
o
o
Suite305
F
Nashville,
TN 37212

and

FOODBUY,LLC
c/o CT Corporation
System
1201PeachtreeStreet,
N.E.
Atlanta,GA 30361

Defendants,

ffiffii\\\fi\ttlrttttt
 Now comesplaintiffDennis Kucinich, by and throughhis attorneys,and for his

Complaintstatesas follows:

GENERAL AND JURISDICTIONAL ALI/EGATIONS

l. Jurisdiction
of thisCourtis foundedon D.C.CodeAnn.,Sec.I I-921,

2. PlaintiffDennisKucinichis a residentof the Stateof Ohio.

3. Defendant
Restaurant
Associates,
Inc.is a New York corporation
in thebusiness

of operatingcommercial
foodserviceandrestaurants,
andat all timesrelevantheretohasbeen
N
o
h
engaged
in continuous
andsystematic
business
in theDistrictof Columbia,includingbut not
T
:
5 limitedto conductingfoodserviceoperations
at theLongworthCafeterialocatedin the
<e
qo

d9 LongworthHouseOfficeBuildingat Independence
AvenueandSouthCapitolStreet,andhas
oo
'z
a<
kg
A'u
maintained
anagentfor serviceof processin theDisfiict of Columbia,suchthatRestaurant
r+Yl
o=" E
'
u!
(JE I
N
: Associates, jurisdictionunderD.C.Codeg l3-33a(a).
lnc. is subjectto thisCourt'sgeneral
839| I
3iH I 4. Defendant
-1E3 td, =
g Compass
Group,USA,Inc,,theparentcorporation
of defendant
[.
6 -
Gi!
Restaurant
Associates,
Inc.,is a Delawarecorporation
in thebusiness
of operatingcommercial
UU
loG
frd foodserviceandrestaurants,
andat all timesrelevantheretohasbeenengaged
Se in continuous
and
=9
z
o
o
systematic
business
in theDistrictof Columbia,includingbut not limitedto conductingfood
o

serviceoperations
at theLongworthCafeterialocatedin theLongworthHouseOfficeBuildingat

Independence
AvenueandSouthCapitolStreet,andhasmaintained
anagentfor serviceof

processin the Districtof Columbia,suchthatCompass

Group,USA,Inc.is subjectto this

jurisdictionunderD.C.Codeg l3-33a(a).
Court'sgeneral

5, At all timesrelevanthereto,defendant
Performance
FoodGroupCompanywasa

Tennessee
corporation
in thebusiness
of commercialfooddistributionandsupply,andis subject
 to this Court'sjurisdictionunderD.C.Code$ l3-423in that(a)Performance
FoodGroup

regularlytransacted
business
in tlreDistrictof Columbiafrom whichtheclairnsat issuein this

actionarose;(b) engaged
in tortiousconductin theDistrictof Columbiathatcausedtortious

injuryhere;and(c) exercising jurisdictionoversaiddefendant

personal wouldnot offend

justice.
traditionalnotionsof fair playandsubstantial

6. Defendant
Foodbuy,LLC is a Delawarelimitedliability corporation

headquartered
in Georgia,andat all timesrelevantheretohasbeenin thebusiness
of commercial
N

N
fooddistributionandsupply,andis subjectto this Court'sjurisdictionunderD.C.Code$ 13423
T
:
$ in that(a) Foodbuy,LLC regularlytransacted
business
in theDistrictof Columbiafrom which
<o
do
jo theclaimsat issuein thisactionarose;(b) engaged
in tortiousconductin theDisrict of
U
:Z
a
i<
ht
*q
Columbiathatcausedtortiousinjuryhere;and(c) exercising jurisdictionoversaid
personal
xEi'i o
Y-- O
E.r . i.j defendant
wouldnotoffendtraditionalnotionsof fair playandsubstantialjustice,
E-fisl*
3EI'a 7.
-aEa oi = S At all timesrelevanthereto,defendants
Restaurant
Associates,
Inc.and/or
f.
d-
Ei!
Compass
GroupUSA,Inc.areandwerein thebusiness
of providingfood servicefor valueto
luu
O(r
frt consumers,
Eo includingbut not limitedto plaintiffDennisKucinich,at facilitieslocatedat
4
- gA
2
o
o
LongworthCafeterialocatedin theLongworthHouseOfficeBuildingat Independence
Avenue
m
andSouthCapitolStreet.

8. At all timesrelevanthereto,defendants
Performance
FoodGroup,Inc.and/or

Foodbuy,LLC areandweresuppliersof foodproductsto restaurant

proprietorsandother

commercialfoodoperators,
includingbutnot limitedto defendants
Restaurant
Associates,
Inc,

and/orCompass
GroupUSA,Inc.

9. Onor aboutApril 17,2008,plaintiffDennisKucinichpurchased

a sandwich
wrap
 prepared
by agentsand/oremployees Associates,
of Restaurant Inc.and/orCompass
GroupUSA,

Inc.andcontainingolivessuppliedby defendants
Performance
FoodGroup,Inc.and/orFoodbuy,

LLC.

10. Saidsandwichwrapwasunwholesome
andunfit for humanconsumption,
in that

it wasrepresented
to containpittedolives,yetunknownto plaintiffcontained
anunpittedoliveor

oliveswhichplaintiffdid notreasonably
expectto bepresentin thefoodprepared
for him, and

couldnot visuallydetectpriorto consumption.

F
1I . As a resultof consuming food,plaintiff sustained
saidunfit andunwholesome
:
; seriousandpermanent
dentalandoral injuriesrequiringrnultiplesurgicalanddentalprocedures,
<*
q9
Jr
d
( )q
g
andhassustained
otherdamages
aswell, includingsignificantpain,sufferingandlossof
ii
Edt
enjoyment.
,,64
98" E
COUNTI - NEGLIGENCE
ua t N

FEeI s
3 - d ! 'gg
5st5 RESTAURANTASSOCIATES.INC.AND COMPASSGROUPUSA.INC.
-
avt
f.
d-
Giu
12. Plaintiffherebyincorporates
theprecedingparagraphs
asif fully rewrittenherein,
llJ u
oE
frr,
g9 I 3. As entitiesengaged
in thebusiness
of servingfoodto customefs,
defendants
-3
z
o
o
Restaurant
Associates,
Inc.andCompass
GroupUSA,Inc. havea dutyto exerciseduecareand
r
I
seethatfoodservedto theircustomers
is wholesome
andfit for humanconsumption
andmaybe

eatenwithoutcausinginjury.

14. Defendants
Restaurant
Associates
and/orCompass
GroupUSA,by andthrough

theiremployees
and/oragents,breached
thisdutyby servingplaintiff foodthatwasunwholesome

andunfit for humanconsumption,

in thatsaidfoodcontaineddangerous
substances,
namelyan

olivepit, thata consumer

wouldnot reasonably
expectto find in thefinal productserved.
 15. As a directandproximateresultof defendants'
aforesaid plaintiffhas
negligence,

sufferedseriousandpermanent
injuriesfor whichhe is entitledto recoverdamages,
includingbut

not limitedto pastandfuturedentalandmedicalexpenses, for pain,sufferingand

compensation

lossof enjoyment
andotherdamages.

COUNTII -NEGLIGENCE

p-cROUp. INq. AND F-Q-QpF_try..tLq

PERFORMAT\qEFp._O.

t6. Plaintiffherebyincorporates
thepreceding
paragraphs
asif fully rewrittenherein.
N
o
ts
17. As suppliersanddistributorsof foodproductsfor humanconsumption,
defendants
:
? Performance
FoodCroup,Inc.andFoodbuy,LLC havea dutyto exerciseduecareto seethatthe
<e
4
JI
9
jo foodproductssuppliedarewholesome
6o-
andfit for humanconsumption
andmaybeeatenwithout
r?,
E{ causinginjury.
,6 .9 3
u
4 S
^- '
=
u€
()c,
N
| - 18. Defendants
Performance
FoodGroup,Inc.and/orFoodbuy,LLC.,by andthrough
FiEI 3
iHs I theiremployees
and/oragents,breached
this dutyby supplyingfoodsubsequently
consumed
by
1st5 g
Go
a.
d-
Ei!
plaintiffthatwasunwholesome
andunfit for humanconsumption,
in thatsaidfoodcontained
UU
6t
G'6 dangerous
Eo substances,
namelyanolive pit, thata consumer
wouldnot reasonably
expectto find
=E
z
o
in thefinal product.
r

19' As a directandproximateresultof defendants'

afbresaid plaintiffhas
negligence,

sufferedseriousandpermanent
injuriesfor whichheis entitledto recoverdamages,
includingbut
not limitedto pastandfuturedentalandmedicalexpenses,
compensation
for pain,sufferingand

lossof enjoyment
andotherdamages.
 qJluNT III: BREACH OF IMPLI.ED,WARRAIT{.TY

RESTAURANTASSOCIATES.INC.AND COMPASSGROUPUSA.INC.

20. paragraphs
thepreceding
Plaintiffherebyincorpomtes asif fully rewrittenherein.

21. As entitiesengaged
in thebusiness defendants
of servingfoodto customers,

Restaurant
Associates, thatfoodsoldby
GroupUSA,Inc. impliedlywarranted
Inc.andCompass

for whichsuchgoodsareused,as
wasfit for theordinarypurposes
themfor consumption

providedunderD.C.Code$ 28:2-101 in particular.

etseq,andD.C.Code$ 28:2-314

o
ts
22. Defendants
Restaurant
Associates GroupUSA,by andthrough
and/orCompass
:
E theiremployees thisimpliedwarrantyby servingplaintifffoodthatwas
and/oragents,breached
<a
do
JI
jo unwholesome in thatsaidfoodcontaineddangerous
andunfit for humanconsumption,
Eo-
=z
tr6
ie namelyanolive pit, thata coruumerwouldnot reasonably
substances, expectto find in thefinal
oi" E
().E I -
productserved.
[]u9l ru
\-{9l@
3;H I 23, As a directandproximateresultof defendants' breash,plaintiffhas
aforesaid
1.n= !J
E(,
6.
d* sufferedseriousandpermanent includingbut
injuriesfor whichhe is entitledto recoverdamages,
frw
@E
i'f' not limitedto pastandfuturedentalandmedicalexpenses, for pain,sufferingand
compensation
Eg
=t
z
o lossof enjoyment
andotherdamages.
F
o

couNT-Lv =EREACH OF rMPLrEp WARRANTY

PEREQBMANCEFOOp GROUP.TNC.ANp FOOpBUY, LLC

24. Plaintiffherebyincorporates
thepreceding
paragraphs
asif fully rewrittenherein.

25. As suppliersanddistributorsof foodproductsfor humanconsumption,

defendants

Performance
FoodGroup,Inc,andFoodbuy,LLC impliedlywarranted
thatfoodsoldby them

for consumption,
includingthe olivesincorporated
in thefoodprovidedto plaintiff,wasfit for
 for whichsuchgoodsareused,asprovidedunderD.C.Code$ 28:2-101et
theordinarypurposes

seq.andD.C.Codei 28:2-314in particular.

26. Defendants FoodGroup,Inc.and/orFoodbuy,LLC.,by andttuough

Performance

thisimpliedwarftmtyby supplyingfoodsubsequently
and/oragents,breached
theiremployees

by plaintiffthatwasunwholesome
consumed in thatsaidfood
andunfit for humanconsumption,

substances,
containeddangerous wouldnot reasonably
namelyanolivepit, thata consumer

expectto find in the finalproduct.

o,
N
27. breach,plaintiffhas
aforesaid
As a directandproximateresultof defendants'
r
T
: includingbut
5 injuriesfor whichhe is entitledto recoverdamages,
sufferedseriousandpermanent
<a
q9
J'

do-
for pain,sufferingand
compensation
not limitedto pastandfutue dentalandmedicalexpenses,
v =

=<
E-il lossof enjoymentandotherdamages.
16
h: - ! d e
Y
G-.
(JC
6r
WHEREFORE, jointly andseverally,in
judgmentagainstdefendants,
plaintiff demands
| ;
F5t lil
3*I',g
1st5 !Y
Dollars($150,000.00),
thesumof OneHundredFifty Thousand with interestandcosts.
G@
r.
d- submitted,
Respectfully
Gi!
lll u
!oc
fEro6
ze
J =

z
o
r
AndrewR. Young,
D.C. Bar No.467926
NURENBERG, PARIS,HELLER&
McCARTHYCO.,L.P.A.
1370OntarioStreet,Suite100
Cleveland,Ohio44113-1792
(216)62t-2300
fa,x:(216)771-2242
docket@nphm.com

Attorneyfor Plaintiff
DennisKucinich