It wasn’t a surprise freebie she might have hoped for.
A New York City woman is suing fashion retailer Zara after allegedly finding a dead mouse sewn into a dress’ hem and contracting a “rodent-born disease.”
In court documents filed Friday, Cailey Fiesel claims she found the rodent’s rotting carcass after noticing “a disturbingly pungent odor” while wearing the dress on Aug. 16.
She noticed what she believed to be a loose string brushing against her leg. When reaching for it, she felt “an unusual bulge” and a tiny paw scraping against her skin, her lawsuit claims.
“I froze — I was paralyzed with fear,” the 24-year-old told The New York Post on Monday. “I was in complete shock. My eyes saw that it was a mouse but my brain told myself it can’t be.”
Fiesel said she immediately took off the dress that she had purchased for $40 from a Greenwich, Connecticut, store in July. She said she later developed a large rash that was diagnosed as a “rodent-born disease.”
Her suit blames the international retailer for inflicting “significant personal injuries and emotional distress.” Among other charges, it also accuses the company of failing to inspect the dress for defects, “including infestation with rodents.”
She seeks unspecified damages, according to the suit, “in a sum that will fairly and adequately compensate her for the damages and injuries she has suffered.”
Zara stands by its products, according to a statement obtained by TMZ.
The company’s website says “Zara USA has stringent health and safety standards, and we are committed to ensuring that all of our products meet these rigorous requirements.”
Neither Fiesel nor Zara immediately returned a request for comment.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mouse-zara-lawsuit_us_582b638ce4b01d8a014adcf2
