Michigan woman sues Monster Energy after allegedly finding dead mouse in can

FILE - In this photo taken Thursday Oct. 13, 2011, a brown house mouse is shown at the Farallones National Wildlife Refuge, Calif. (AP / Eric Risberg)

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan -- A Grand Rapids, Michigan, woman is suing Monster Beverage Corp., the maker of Monster Energy drinks, after she claims she found a dead mouse in a Monster Energy drink can.

Plaintiff McKenzie Cain claims in a lawsuit, which was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan on Monday, that she found a dead mouse at the bottom of a Monster Energy drink can after consuming the beverage. Cain initially filed the lawsuit in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court in Kent County in September 2024.

Cain bought a can of Monster Energy Drink from a Big Apple Bagels in Grand Rapids in April 2024, according to the lawsuit. After consuming the beverage, Cain claims she picked up the can and felt that it was still “oddly heavy.”

Cain further opened the can and, “to her horror, found a dead mouse laying in the bottom of the can,” her lawsuit claims.

Cain claims that since then she suffered “severe emotional distress, trauma and physical illness” and that the incident has caused her “ongoing physical and emotional distress, resulting in medical expenses for counseling and treatment.”

Cain is suing Monster Beverage, claiming the company was negligent by failing to ensure that its products “were safe for consumption and free from harmful contaminants” and that the company is liable for any injuries and damages that she suffered because her beverage “contained a harmful and dangerous defect — a dead mouse.”

The lawsuit also claims that Monster Beverage breached the implied warranty of merchantability.

CBS News Detroit has reached out to Monster Beverage for comment.

Cain is seeking at least US$25,000, plus interest, costs and attorney fees, as well as any relief that the court deems appropriate, according to her lawsuit.