A Florida woman named Brandy Buckley has been awarded $14 million by a Brevard County court after she ate ice cream that was contaminated with metal. The incident left her with serious and permanent health problems, including infertility.
According to Unilad, Buckley filed a lawsuit in 2019, saying that nails and other metal pieces had ended up in the butter pecan ice cream she bought from Bruster’s Ice Cream in Palm Bay, Florida, in September 2018. The lawsuit was filed against Malabar Creameries.
She was going through the drive-thru that day and was also scooping some ice cream for her son when she realized something was wrong. She told the media that she spotted a metal nail nearly stuck in the cone. “I thought it was a pecan because it was a butter pecan ice cream that I had purchased,” she said. “It was a nail. I had swallowed a nail.”
Swallowing two metal shards led to a blood clot that permanently took away her ability to have more children
Even though she only ate a small amount of the ice cream, two metal pieces were found in her body, which caused years of serious health problems. The most severe outcome was a blood clot complication that left her permanently unable to have more children.
Buckley spoke about the impact of that, saying, “That was my goal and my dream, to have more kids. It was crazy because who expects to get ice cream and find a nail in there?” Her lawyers also noted that the contaminated ice cream “ultimately resulted in permanent infertility,” stopping her from having any more children.
Woman wins $14 million after eating ice cream with metal nails and left unable to have children https://t.co/0VETRcDAqQ pic.twitter.com/BwiIEbs6s3
— New York Post (@nypost) March 29, 2026
Florida has seen its fair share of unexpected situations lately, like this Florida woman who faced a costly food-sharing regret that quickly went viral. Beyond infertility, Buckley’s lawsuit also listed other injuries. She claimed to have suffered damage to her head, neck, limbs, and nervous system.
She also said she has a permanent loss of some body functions and continues to deal with ongoing neurological damage. The jury awarded her $14 million, which accounts for the harm she suffered and covers years of medical bills. Florida residents have been making headlines for navigating surprisingly stressful situations, including a Florida woman who boarded a flight without ID and still managed to make her flight.
Her lawyer, John Alpizar, said, “We are grateful that this jury of six fulfilled their civic duty and listened carefully to all of the evidence.” Alpizar added, “This verdict reflects the seriousness of the harm our client endured and ensures accountability at all levels.”
