Woman Says Cherry Pit Led to Heart Attack

DALLAS (CN) - A strange train of events gave a woman a heart attack after she bit into a cherry pit in a Chick-Fil-A milkshake, she claims in court.

Cyndi Scruggs, of Parker, Colo., sued the chicken sandwich chain and its cherry supplier Dell's Maraschino Cherries in Dallas County Court on Monday.

She claims that the cherry pit fractured two of her teeth, then her gums became infected and septic, culminating in a heart attack.

It all started with the milkshake she ordered on May 10 from the Chick-Fil-A restaurant in McKinney, Texas, Scruggs says.

"As a result of biting into the maraschino cherry with a pit inside, plaintiff fractured two teeth below the gum line, and shortly after this incident, her gums became infected and she developed sepsis. Shortly thereafter, plaintiff sustained a heart attack.

"Recently, plaintiff had the two fractured teeth professionally pulled, and will be enduring tooth implant procedures in the future."

Scruggs claims the defendants "failed to properly inspect the cherry" before serving her the milkshake, and failed to warn that the cherries may not have been properly de-pitted.

Chick-Fil-A officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Scruggs seeks damages for negligence. She is represented by Steven S. Schulte with Turley Law Firm in Dallas.

Founded in a suburban Atlanta mall in 1967, privately-held Chick-Fil-A has gained a loyal following for its fried chicken breast sandwiches. Its 1,850 domestic outlets generated more than $5 billion in revenue in 2013, making it the largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the country, according to its website.

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