A Portland woman is suing Trader Joe’s over claims that she found a fingertip from a rubber glove in one of the brand’s juices, according to a lawsuit.
Julee O’Neil, who filed her lawsuit on Monday, also alleges that she may have swallowed a human fingertip while drinking the orange juice. She is now suing the grocer for $10,000.
O’Neil discovered the rubber fingertip on June 19, 2025, according a lawsuit obtained by OregonLive. She had bought the 52-ounce bottle of Trader Joe’s brand juice from a store in the Hollywood neighborhood.
As she drank the beverage, O’Neil said that she discovered what she believed to be a large chunk of pulp floating in the liquid. Only when she retrieved the object did she realize that it was part of a rubber glove.
The lawsuit states, “She was and is concerned that the human hand that was in the tip of the glove was also severed and was part of the pulp she had been periodically drinking.”
O’Neil said that she gagged and felt a burning sensation in her mouth, as well as feeling nauseated. Eventually, she decided to head to a nearby clinic.
More than 30 days before filing her complaint, O’Neil sent a written notice to the supermarket requesting a $10,000 settlement. However, according to Fox 12, which also obtained the court filing, Trader Joe’s did not pay.
The development comes after the grocer agreed to pay out a $7.4 million settlement in a separate legal battle.
According to Los Angeles County Superior Court documents, a customer claimed in 2019 that Trader Joe’s printed 10 digits of its customers’ debit and credit card numbers on point-of-sale receipts. That was alleged to violate a customer’s rights under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act.
Card transaction receipts can show only the last 5 digits of a card number under FACTA.
However, the customer soon found that the mistake had impacted “757,663 unique class member card numbers,” according to court documents.
The records suggest that just under half of the gargantuan $7.4 million settlement will pay for attorney fees and costs, as well as other court-related fees.
The three law firms representing the customer and other participants will each receive one-third of a $2.5 million payout.
Those affected by the mistake will be able to submit a claim for a part of the settlement, object to the settlement, opt out or do nothing.
The figure in the settlement still needs to be approved by a court, with a hearing being set for August 10, according to the records.
Trader Joe’s has denied all of the customer’s allegations and any liability or wrongdoing.
The Independent has contacted Trader Joe’s and Furniss, Shearer & Leineweber for comment.
