Woman files $25,000 lawsuit, claiming horror discovery inside an energy drink

A lawsuit filed on behalf of a woman in Michigan seeks $25,000 for “emotional distress” after she claims to have made a horrifying discovery while opening a can of popular energy drink Monster Energy.

McKenzie Cain has said that she opened the beverage and found a dead mouse lying inside. She made the purchase at a bagel restaurant in Grand Rapids, Michigan in April last year.

The lawsuit was subsequently filed in September 2024, accusing Monster Energy of negligence for causing her harm. It also alleges a breach of implied warranty for the compromised container. The lawsuit explains the situation.

“Upon consuming the drink, Cain picked up the can and realized the can was still oddly heavy,” the lawsuit reads. “Out of curiosity, Cain opened the can further, and to her horror, found a dead mouse laying in the bottom of the can.”

Zach Runyan, Cain’s lawyer, issued a statement to USA Today in support of the lawsuit: “It’s hard to imagine many things more disgusting than finding a dead mouse at the bottom of your energy drink. It is also dangerous. Mice, like all rodents, often carry diseases that can be extremely harmful. It goes without saying that no beverages should ever make it to the shelf with a dead animal inside it."

However the energy drink manufacturer has dismissed the allegation entirely, describing it as a hoax.

“The lawsuit is a copycat claim based on a hoax found on the internet,” a Monster Energy spokesperson said. “Strict manufacturing processes and technology make it impossible for a mouse to be sealed inside a Monster Energy drink. The lawsuit is frivolous and Monster Energy looks forward to, once again, exposing this hoax.”

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