Court Discontinues Lawsuit Claiming Finger Was Found In Salad At Northern Westchester Eatery

A court has discontinued a lawsuit filed against a restaurant chain by a Connecticut woman who claimed she found herself chewing on part of a severed human finger while eating a salad served at one of the company's locations in New York.

The lawsuit, filed against Rye Brook-based Chop't Creative Salad Company LLC by Fairfield County resident Allison Cozzi of Greenwich, was discontinued by the Westchester County Supreme Court on Thursday, July 11.

Cozzi, who brought the suit against Chop't in November, claimed she found part of a severed finger inside her meal bought at a Chop't location in Northern Westchester County at 53 South Moger Ave. in Mount Kisco.

• Earlier Report - Woman Sues After Finding Severed Finger In Salad At Mount Kisco Eatery, Lawsuit Says

According to the lawsuit, Cozzi purchased a salad at the Chop't location in April 2023. Shortly after she began eating it, she realized that she was chewing on a part of a human finger that had allegedly been mixed in with the salad.

The complaint had also alleged that earlier in the same day, a manager working at the eatery had been chopping arugula when she chopped off a portion of her left pointer finger.

The manager then left the restaurant and was hospitalized, the complaint said, also detailing that the arugula she had been chopping was left on the service line and served to customers, including Cozzi.

After the incident, the Westchester County Department of Health investigated and eventually issued a $900 ticket to Chop't. This ticket was not contested or appealed by the company, and was paid, according to the lawsuit complaint.

As a result of the incident, the complaint said that Cozzi experienced shock, panic attacks, migraines, traumatic stress and anxiety, nausea, vomiting, and more.

Because the lawsuit was "discontinued with prejudice," Cozzi will not be able to bring it back to court. More information about why the lawsuit was discontinued was not available.

Correction: An earlier version of the article stated the lawsuit was dismissed, when in fact it was discontinued by stipulation of the attorneys involved in the case.