A Portland woman’s Trader Joe’s orange juice fingertip lawsuit is now pending in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Julee O’Neil sued the grocery chain on April 20, 2026, saying she found the fingertip of a rubber glove — and possibly part of a human finger — inside a 52-ounce bottle of Trader Joe’s brand organic orange juice with pulp. She is seeking $10,000 in damages plus attorney fees.1KPTV. Portland Woman Sues Trader Joe’s Over Juice Allegedly Containing Finger Tip, Glove Piece
What O’Neil Says She Found
According to the complaint, O’Neil bought the juice on June 14, 2025, at the Trader Joe’s on Northeast Halsey Street in Portland’s Hollywood neighborhood.1KPTV. Portland Woman Sues Trader Joe’s Over Juice Allegedly Containing Finger Tip, Glove Piece Five days later, while finishing the bottle, she felt something she took for a large piece of pulp. When she pulled it out, she says, it was the tip of a rubber glove.2The Oregonian. Portland Woman Claims Trader Joe’s OJ Contained Glove Fingertip
The complaint goes further. O’Neil alleges the glove tip may have also contained the end of a human finger, or that a severed fingertip may have been floating separately in the pulp, meaning she may have swallowed it without realizing.3Law & Crime. Woman Swallowed Severed Fingertip While Drinking Trader Joe’s Orange Juice, Thought It Was Pulp She says she experienced nausea, gagging, and a burning sensation in her mouth, and sought treatment at an urgent care clinic.4KATU. Lawsuit Claims Portland Trader Joe’s OJ Had Rubber Glove Finger
Where the Case Stands
O’Neil sent Trader Joe’s a written notice of claim before suing, asking the company to pay $10,000. Trader Joe’s did not pay. She then filed suit in Multnomah County Circuit Court in April 2026.4KATU. Lawsuit Claims Portland Trader Joe’s OJ Had Rubber Glove Finger Her attorney is Anthony Furniss of Furniss Shearer & Leineweber, a Portland-area firm handling personal injury and product liability work.5Furniss Shearer & Leineweber. Anthony W. Furniss
Trader Joe’s has not publicly commented on the allegations. Several news outlets reported reaching out to the company and receiving no response.1KPTV. Portland Woman Sues Trader Joe’s Over Juice Allegedly Containing Finger Tip, Glove Piece No motions or rulings in the case have been publicly reported.
Questions About the Plaintiff’s Litigation History
The $10,000 figure is modest for a personal injury claim, and it is not the first time O’Neil has sought that amount. USA Today reported that court records show she has filed civil suits before, including cases against Starbucks and a massage therapist, both of which were dismissed.6USA Today. Trader Joe’s Juice Human Finger Lawsuit A 2020 slip-and-fall claim she brought against Starbucks also sought $10,000.7WCNC. Lawsuit Claims Woman Found Rubber Glove Fingertip in Trader Joe’s Orange Juice Nothing in the public record indicates her Trader Joe’s claim is anything other than genuine.
How Oregon Law Treats Foreign Objects in Food
Oregon consumers who find foreign objects in food generally have three legal routes. The first is strict product liability under ORS 30.920, which lets a manufacturer or seller be held responsible for harm caused by a product in a defective and unreasonably dangerous condition, without the consumer having to prove carelessness. The second is ordinary negligence, arguing that the seller or manufacturer failed to exercise reasonable care. The third is breach of implied warranty under Oregon’s Uniform Commercial Code provisions (ORS 72.3140 and 72.3150), which treat commercially sold food as impliedly fit to eat.
Oregon courts use what is called the reasonable expectation test, asking whether the product was unreasonably dangerous beyond what an ordinary consumer would anticipate. A rubber glove fingertip is not something a buyer would expect to find in bottled juice, which separates this kind of claim from older Oregon cases involving natural substances like fruit pits.
Prior Finger-in-Food Claims
Allegations of body parts in food have surfaced before. In 2012, a Michigan teenager found a severed finger in a roast beef sandwich from Arby’s. In 2005, a customer at a North Carolina frozen custard shop found a finger a worker had lost in the custard machine.8NPR. A History of Human Fingers Found in Fast Food
The best-known case turned out to be a fraud. In 2005, a San Jose woman claimed she found a finger in a bowl of Wendy’s chili. The finger belonged to her husband, obtained from a co-worker’s industrial accident. The couple was convicted of felony grand theft, and Wendy’s estimated the hoax cost it roughly $2.5 million in lost sales.8NPR. A History of Human Fingers Found in Fast Food That history is part of why food companies and courts take a careful look at these allegations, and why the burden of proof matters. O’Neil’s case remains pending, and Trader Joe’s has yet to answer publicly.