A Long Island man is crying fowl over KFC, claiming in a $1 million lawsuit that he swallowed a 1 3/4-inch metal rod while eating “boneless” chicken strips.
John Bacchi, 46, said he coughed so hard trying to dislodge the object that he tore a muscle and gave himself a hernia.
“I wanted it out,” said Bacchi. “It was getting to the point of dry heaves.”
According to court papers filed in Queens Supreme Court earlier this month, Bacchi, a telecommunications technician, purchased the three-piece meal from the KFC restaurant at 175-46 Hillside Ave. in Jamaica in December 2002.
Several bites into his lunch, he felt something in his throat.
Bacchi said he dislodged the metal rod after about 15 minutes of coughing.
The next morning, he woke up feeling discomfort in his groin. His doctor told him he’d developed a large hernia that required immediate attention.
“I explained what happened, and he said, ‘Absolutely, from coughing heavily, you could do that,’ ” Bacchi said.
Not wanting to take time off for surgery, he waited until July 2003 to have the hernia repaired, and it was months later before he recovered from the lingering pain, he said.
“He was on the couch the whole time,” said Bacchi’s wife, Patricia. “If he sneezed, he would cry.”
The father of two couldn’t even climb the stairs to their home’s second floor, he said.
In the meantime, Bacchi contacted attorney Kevin Carsey, who hoped KFC – formerly Kentucky Fried Chicken – would compensate his client for his medical bills – and a little extra for his pain and suffering.
But KFC told Carsey they would only respond to a complaint in the form of a lawsuit, the lawyer said. So he slapped the company with papers demanding $1 million for Bacchi’s suffering, and another $50,000 for his wife’s trouble.
A KFC spokeswoman, who said the company had no knowledge of the suit, confirmed that the restaurant, now owned and run by a franchisee, was operated by KFC at the time in question.