Consumers cannot expect boneless chicken wings to actually be free of bones, a divided Ohio Supreme Court ruled Thursday, rejecting claims by a restaurant patron who suffered serious medical complications from getting a bone stuck in his throat.

Michael Berkheimer was dining with his wife and friends at a wing joint in Hamilton, Ohio, and had ordered the usual — boneless wings with parmesan garlic sauce — when he felt a bite-size piece of meat go down the wrong way. Three days later, feverish and unable to keep food down, Berkeimer went to the emergency room, where a doctor discovered a long, thin bone that had torn his esophagus and caused an infection.

In a 4-3 ruling, the Supreme Court said Thursday that “boneless wings” refers to a cooking style, and that Berkheimer should’ve been on guard against bones since it’s common knowledge that chickens have bones. The high court sided with lower courts that had dismissed Berkheimer’s suit.

  • SSTF@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    “Decaf coffee”

    It actually has 300000mg of caffeine

    “It’s well known that coffee has caffeine in it. Skill issue.”

    • BedbugCutlefish@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Decaf does actually still have caffeine, just normally like 97% less.

      Which, I guess is like the boneless wings having 97% less bones, now in convinient needle shaped shards

  • MagicShel@programming.dev
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    2 months ago

    Boneless is a “cooking style?” No. It’s which bag of chicken I pull out of the freezer before I even turn the oven on. I’m not going to sous vide the fucking bones out of my wings.

    If the restaurant is deboning wings to order, fine. I’ll accept that. But then that shit had better be on the menu so I know to be careful.

  • expatriado@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    under new supreme court ruling, if you sell boneless chicken with bones, you aren’t wrong, just an asshole

    • dohpaz42@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I hope you’re joking. Otherwise, you’re why boneless chicken wings can still have bones. 💀

      Like the Hamburger, it has nothing to do with what’s in the food, but rather where they came from originally.

  • mkwt@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Did the restaurant just screw up the order, or was this some process deficiency with the deboner?

    • catloaf@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      I don’t know what the boneless tender machine looks like, but no process is 100% effective, so it’s entirely possible for a bit of bone to make it through. Usually, that’s acceptable, because you find it while chewing and remove it. In this case, it was a dangerously-shaped piece of bone, and it ended up in his respiratory system and caused significant illness.

      Honestly, I’m not sure that he has a case, since it really is acceptable for some bone to be present. That it ended up poorly for him isn’t really the company’s fault.

      In an ideal system, his medical costs would be covered by universal healthcare, and he wouldn’t have to worry about paying bills or losing his job while out sick through no fault of his own. He shouldn’t need to sue for those costs. (And if he’s just looking for a payday lawsuit, then fuck that guy and his lawyer.)

  • Nimo@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    The Ohio Supreme Court’s decision to allow chicken wings advertised as ‘boneless’ to contain bones warrants an examination of the principles underlying voluntary exchanges and the protection of consumer rights. When individuals engage in transactions, the terms and descriptions presented are expected to be accurate, fostering trust and informed decision-making. An advertisement promising ‘boneless’ wings that includes bones disrupts this trust, introducing an element of deception.

    For a marketplace to function effectively, it is essential that representations made in the course of business transactions are truthful. Consumers rely on these representations to make choices that align with their preferences and expectations. If these expectations are systematically violated, the very foundation of voluntary exchange is compromised.

    Thus, the court’s role in addressing such issues is to ensure that the transactional environment remains transparent and honest. By upholding standards against misleading advertisements, the court helps maintain the integrity of voluntary exchanges, allowing individuals to engage in transactions free from coercion and deceit.

  • TunaCowboy@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    If you choose boneless wings over the boney delicious alternative you kind of have it coming.

    • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      I’ve always assumed boneless chicken wings are some sort of a scam. Then ordered once and discovered they’re not wings at all but pieces of chicken breast. Or a scam, since a breast taste differently than a wing. Do they actually remove the bones from wings somewhere?