Customer Sues Burger King After Company Reneges on Free Whoppers For Life

A man who got stuck inside a restroom at a Portland, Oregon, Burger King is suing the fast food company after he says they reneged on a offer of free Whopper combos for life. 

It all started when Curtis Brooner used the restroom at a Northeast Portland Burger King on Dec.15. Unfortunately for him, the lock broke, stranding him inside the foul-smelling restroom for over an hour.

Brooner managed to escape after employees allegedly slid a flyswatter under the door for him to pry open the lock. The lawsuit also states that Brooner cut his hand while he was attempting to get out and that the Burger King employees were laughing at him at the time of the incident. 

The lawsuit also states that when Brooner finally managed to get out, he was left shaken by the event, which had also triggered his PTSD, leaving him unable to drive.

"The cleanliness of the place was less than desirable," Brooner told the Willamette Weekly. "Highway bums use it as a changing room. It's not a pleasant smelling place. Being locked in there for over an hour, you smell like that when you get out."

Brooner said after he managed to get out of the restroom, a manager came over and offered him free meals for life after his experience. 

"While I was sitting in their lobby trying to calm down, the manager came over and said, 'Anytime you come in here, it's free meals on us.' I eat at Burger King almost daily, and so I was grateful for the offer," said Brooner. 

After taking advantage of the deal at least once a day for two weeks, the restaurant stopped comping Brooner's food after being instructed to by a district manager. 

The lawsuit filed with the Multnomah County Circuit Court is asking that Burger King either honor the manager's offer of free food for life for Brooner, or damages of $9,026.16 - the cost of buying one Whopper combo once a week for the next 22 years. 

"Mr. Brooner is 50 years old. A Burger King Whopper Meal costs $7.89. Assuming Mr. Brooner lives to be 72 years old and consumes on average one Burger King Whopper Meal per week for the rest of his life, the value of Burger King's agreement to Mr. Brooner is $9,026.16. If the Court will not require Burger King's specific performance under the agreement, Mr. Brooner instead requests judgment for $9,026.16 against Burger King, which is the value of the lifetime supply of Burger King meals that he was promised," the lawsuit says.

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