Burger Chain Awarded $80K After Ex-Employee Said She Found Worms In Burger

A former Steak n' Shake employee must pay the burger chain $80,000 after posting a claim on social media that she had found worms in her burger.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Steak n' Shake was awarded $70,000 in actual damages and $10,000 in punitive damages after winning a trial against their former employee, Melissa White.

Court documents state that while in trial on Friday (June 18), Steak n' Shake's lawyers said that White was mistaken when she believed she found worms in her burger that she was making herself on January 5, 2018. Instead, she saw fat that rose to the surface from the burger patty once she applied pressure to it.

A court filing states that after a district manager looked into the matter, he found no evidence of worms in the patties. White was uncooperative, and the Florissant police were called to request that she leave the store.

After leaving the store, White posted her claim to Facebook with pictures, and the post was shared at least 36,000 times and had at least 7,000 likes with comments from people saying they would never eat Steak n' Shake again.

Samuel Henderson, White's lawyer, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the verdict was "very disappointing."

"From her standpoint, she was trying to do the right thing to protect the public," Henderson said. He also added that the verdict could force White into bankruptcy.