Innovative Solutions International Inc V. Houlihan Trading Co Inc Et Al

Case Background

On March 10, 2022, Plaintiff Innovative Solutions International Inc. filed a product liability lawsuit for negligent misrepresentation of chicken products—products that Defendants labeled and represented to be boneless, but in fact, contained excessive bones. Plaintiff brought consumer protection act violation and negligent misrepresentation claims against Houlihan Trading Company, Inc., Marcus Technologies LLC, Brighton Group, LLC, Cook International Trade & Brokerage, Inc., Shumaker International Corporation, North South Foods Group, Inc., Henley’s Wholesale Meats, Inc., Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, and unnamed Doe Defendants. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court, Washington Western (Seattle). U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour presided over this case. [Case number: 2:22cv296]

Cause

Innovative, a family-owned company based in Washington, produced over 30 poultry and meat products distributed nationwide. For 15 years, it exclusively supplied Trader Joe’s with the highly popular Chile Lime Chicken Burgers. These boneless burgers required high-quality, boneless raw chicken materials, which Innovative also uses in its other boneless chicken products. Between July and September 2021, Innovative purchased chicken products from Houlihan Trading Company, Inc. Houlihan explicitly represented these products as boneless. While Houlihan sold the products to Innovative, Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation produced, prepared, and packaged them. Other supply chain companies handled the products before Houlihan’s possession. After receiving the shipments, Innovative used the chicken to produce Chile Lime Chicken Burgers and other boneless products. In September 2021, Trader Joe’