Subway's years-long legal battle over their highly scrutinized tuna may be ending.
The California lady who sued the sandwich company for not using tuna wants to withdraw the case to focus on her health and family as she prepares to deliver a child.
Plaintiff Nilima Amin stated her morning sickness and "debilitating" pregnancy symptoms hindered her from fulfilling her legal obligations. She wants her lawsuit dismissed without prejudice, so she may sue again.
In January 2021, Amin sued Subway, claiming that independent lab testing of the chain's fish and mayo mixture found no tuna. Her attorneys eventually revised the complaint to claim that Subway's tuna contained chicken, hog, and calf protein.
Subway has always denied these charges, calling their tuna "100% real" and the case "meritless." The firm developed a website in 2021 to "set forth the facts and help clarify any confusion" regarding its tuna during the issue.
Subway claims that the litigation and media coverage hurt tuna sales despite its efforts to preserve its brand. The corporation failed to dismiss the lawsuit last year when a California court determined that Amin could proceed.
Subway won't let the lawsuit go after Amin's withdrawal. Subway said in a May 4 filing that Amin and her attorneys dropped the complaint after realizing the business wouldn't "simply pay the windfall settlement that they hoped to get by constructing a high-profile shakedown.
Subway wants Amin's attorneys to pay $618,000 of its lawsuit legal fees. The business also wants her class action case rejected.
Subway has recently faced two heated, high-profile lawsuits, including Amin's. Ireland's Supreme Court declared in 2020 that Subway's sandwich loaves were too sugary to be bread.
The chain has closed restaurants due to legal issues. In 2022, Subway closed 571 US stores, its lowest number since 2005.
After the COVID-19 epidemic, Subway closed 1,000 more locations in 2021. Positively, the business expects to open 35% more North American restaurants this year than in 2022.