Barnett Sues McDonald's, JNJ Facci Franchisees in Cook County Product Liability Case

David Barnett filed a product liability and personal injury lawsuit against McDonald’s Corporation and multiple franchise or operator entities in Cook County, alleging he ate a contaminated chicken sandwich at a Berwyn, Illinois McDonald’s in March 2025 and required medical treatment costing $13,900. The complaint, filed Feb. 4, 2026 in the Illinois Circuit Court for Cook County as case number 2026L001336, lists claims that include product liability, personal injury and negligent hiring.

Court filings identify plaintiff counsel as CP Law Group and The Law Office of Cameron Hawkins. The complaint caption appears as Barnett v. JNJ Facci, while other filings list defendants as McDonald’s Corporation and Facci Restaurant Group plus additional unnamed franchise entities. Sources describe the product at issue as “a chicken sandwich containing a greenish, mold-like substance.” Beyond the filing itself, available summaries do not disclose which franchise entities make up the “+ 3,” whether those names refer to the same corporate operator, or whether defendants have been served or filed responses.

For workers at McDonald’s restaurants and franchise operations, the suit highlights operational risks tied to food safety and staffing choices. A negligent hiring claim typically targets hiring, training and supervision practices; if Barnett’s pleading pins contamination on employee error, franchise operators and shift supervisors could face scrutiny about hiring standards, on-the-job training, food-handling protocols and recordkeeping. Front-line crew members may see immediate operational fallout in the form of reinforced safety briefings, tighter supervision and potentially more frequent inspections by corporate or local health authorities.

The dispute also underscores the legal exposure that can flow to both franchisor and franchisee. McDonald’s Corporation is named alongside locally operating entities; the precise corporate relationships and the factual basis for the negligent hiring allegation are not spelled out in the public summaries. The complaint text, exhibits and docket entries would be needed to learn whether photos, lab tests or medical records accompany Barnett’s claims and whether he seeks damages beyond the $13,900 in treatment costs cited.

At this stage the case is at a preliminary procedural point: the complaint was filed and the docket number assigned, but there is no public record in these summaries of answers, motions, a judge assignment or scheduled hearings. Reporters and workplace stakeholders should watch for additional filings that could show whether McDonald’s or franchise operators dispute the contamination allegation, disclose internal investigations, or reveal health-department inspections tied to the Berwyn location.

For employees and managers, the filing is a reminder that food-safety lapses can trigger costly litigation and prompt renewed attention to hiring practices, shift supervision and product-handling routines. The coming weeks of docket activity and any local health-inspection records will determine whether this lawsuit prompts store-level changes or broader corporate responses.