I Wrote McDonalds About The Nigel Haskett Incident... Here Is There Response:

[Yes We Did]

My Letter:

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been going to McDonalds since I was a child. It is still
among my favorite quick service restaurants. However, after reading about
your treatment of Nigel Haskett, that true hero, I am writing to inform you
that I will no longer be eating at your restaurants.

That young man is a hero. You are disgusting to treat him this way and I
cannot in good conscience support your company with my money any longer.

"J"

Their Response:

Hello "J":


Thank you for taking the time to contact McDonald's to let us know your thoughts on this unfortunate incident.

This restaurant is an independently owned McDonald's and an insurance claim is still pending. As such, it is not appropriate for us to comment on it, however, the owner/operator, Ray Nosler, has shared the following statement publicly about this case:

February 24, 2009
My highest priority is the safety and security of my customers and employees.

I stand behind Nigel Haskett. I believe he acted as a Good Samaritan. Concerning the critical matter of his medical expenses, it is important to note that the Arkansas Worker's Compensation Commission ultimately decides the outcome of his claim. As part of this process, Nigel's case will be presented to a Worker's Compensation judge, who will review all of the facts and decide on the case's merits.

McDonald's supports Nigel's claim, and fully anticipates the judge in this process will find in Nigel's favor. As a safeguard, if for some reason his claim is denied, and other insurance options are unavailable, I intend to cover the cost of his medical expenses.

I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do for Nigel.

Ray Nosler, McDonald's Owner/Operator

Jennifer
McDonald's Customer Response Center


Now... I don't know what to actually believe, although after dealing with a very similar problem (no, I wasn't shot) I am somewhat inclined to believe the insurance company is to blame here. Only time will tell, but I still refuse to eat there until this is resolved in an appropriate way.

[DJ13]

1. They are right, the denial of claim rests with their owner/operator

And that person's insurance company.

You can probably search for that owner's business address (they most always own several franchises, and operate out of a separate office) and write them directly.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. This shows the complete hopelessness of the American health system

A man suffers life threatening injuries through no fault of his own, which and the state and insurance company pass the buck for who should pay to save his life.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. That's standard operating procedure

The expenses will be covered - the patient will not be held liable for any of them. It's just a matter of deciding who pays what.

It sounds worse than it actually is. This happens all the time.

[area51]

17. Er,

The expenses will be covered - the patient will not be held liable for any of them.

How can you be so sure? Aren't bills unpaid now? You know they're going to go after the most vulernable people -- the ones who can least afford lawyers, whose funds will be the most quicky exhausted, in other words, the employee. Medical bills have to be paid. muriel_volestrangler is exactly right: our medical care system in this country is completely broken. And I say that due to the way our government apportions healthcare based on personal wealth, we have no right to call ourselves a first-world country.

[Confusious]

25. Yea but it really causes alot of pain

When they haven't decided who pays, and they start looking around. ( In the hospital for 2 days, $10,000 ) Is it going to be me? How the F*ck am I going to pay for this if they come after me? etc, etc, etc.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. It's up to the State Commission -

the owner is supporting him and has gone on record - even that letter is proof - as supporting his claim, so it's pretty clear that he'll be taken care of. The insurance company will do what the Commission recommends, and he'll be all right.

Believe what you got from McDonald's. They aren't lying, not in such a visible and verifiable situation. It's all going as it should, but your not eating there is kind of foolish, because - and I'm speaking as an old lawyer now - from everything I can see, they're doing it by the books and the franchise owner is standing up for his employee.

I'd have no trouble patronizing any McDonald's today........................

[Yes We Did]

7. Foolish?

What a sad comment.

Remember, this happened last year. That is plenty of time for this to have been taken care of. As far as not eating there as a show of support, it's not foolish. It's compassionate.

Perhaps you shouldn't speak as a lawyer. Perhaps you should speak as... a person.

[anigbrowl]

9. This doesn't really make sense

It's a fact that suchcases take time to wind through the legal system. It's also a fact that it's the insurance company, not McDonalds themselves or the owner of that particular franchise, who are asking the court to relieve them of responsibility. I don't see any reason for the employer to carry the can for what the insurance company should be doing, before the matter has been heard in court.

Now, one could argue that McDonalds and/or the franchise operator should find themselves a nicer insurance company to provide coverage - but it's hard to anticipate how well or badly any insurance company is going to behave about a hypothetical future claim.

This is why a state insurance commission exists in the first place - to resolve such disputes. I can accept that McDonalds is not the insurance business, and it seems reasonable for them or any other company to contract this out, just as they contract out the work of constructing or remodelling a restaurant to a company that specializes in construction rather than selling fast food.

as it happens, I don't eat at or have any relationship whatsoever with McDonalds. I just don't think it's fair to blame them for the apparent bad faith on the part of their insurance company, especially when they have gone on the record as being willing to help out the employee if the insurance commission throws it back in their lap.

[Yes We Did]

12. When I had problems with my disability insurance...

My employer got on the phone and told them that they had better pay up. I received my check a week later.

I am not blaming McDonalds for the insurance company. What I am saying is that they could do more to pressure them to pay up.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

10. You land on one word..........

I used to describe an action that didn't need to be taken, from my perspective.

These things take time. That was my point. I was simply trying to clear it up for you and give you information that you might not have had.

I regret doing that, since my words were obviously not understood. It was, it's clear, a waste of my time.

[Yes We Did]

13. You didn't need to include the personal attack.

Calling me foolish was rude and pointless. Furthermore, I know how the system works, and I also know that McDonalds could do more. If you recall, their reasoning for why he was not reimbursed for medical bills was

To paraphrase: McDonalds told him during his orientation if something like that happens not to play the hero; to simply call the police and let what happens happen.

They are not blameless here. And their response was complete bullshit.

As I said in my OP, I have been through this process before, and it appears to me that McDonalds could do more to pressure the insurance company to do the right thing, and by people telling them that they will NOT eat there until they do, it adds pressure to ensure they do all they can to make sure the situation is taken care of properly and swiftly.

[WillowTree]

21. As a matter of fact, the fact that you once had a disability claim...

....doesn't necessarily mean that you know how it works. "Regular" disability insurance and Workers Compensation are very different things and what Workers Comp covers and how the claim process works varies widely from state to state. For instance, here in Illinois where you live and presumably work, a judge at the Workers Comp Commission (not the Department of Insurance} has to sign off on all cases over a certain dollar amount even if there's no dispute between the injured worker and the insurance company. Or at least that's the way it used to be. But that doesn't make me an authority on Workers Comp laws in Arkansas.

Just because you had a claim of some nature in some state once upon a time doesn't make you an authority on how all insurance works everywhere no matter how much you wish it was so. And I don't know what the right word is, but punishing a franchise owner (AKA small business owner) in Illinois for what you assume someone else in Arkansas is or isn't doing goes way beyond "foolish".

[Yes We Did]

22. I never said I was an expert.

Perhaps you should actually read what is written and stick to that, not fabircate things. Doing that makes you... "asshole-ish" for lack of a better word.

And how the fuck do you know what state I live in? It's not in my profile.

[Radical Activist]

18. Than again. Not eating at McDonald's is always a good idea

considering the health value of their food, union-busting, and their impact on the agricultural industry.

[Ferret Annica]

5. Do something so unselfish in nature you get hurt doing iy...

... and they will draw straws like this to see who the unlucky one getting the bill will be.

The 'due process' of the liability game demeans workers and treats them like dogs taken to the vet.

Having had my grief with their mistakes on mere unemployment benefits claims in the past myself, I sympathize with the ordeal this puts the injured worker through knowing personally the mindset he is dealing with.

The Restaurant franchise outlet owner sure will pay to cover his reputation id he has to, no surprise there. But he should of waved away this process and just told them he was going to pay. That is, if he did actually support this man like he claims to.

I don't believe he does, greed in the U.S. has taught me well never to be so gullible. The bossman here is a pig, pure and simple.

[anigbrowl]

11. Wait, what?

"The Restaurant franchise outlet owner sure will pay to cover his reputation id he has to, no surprise there. But he should of waved away this process and just told them he was going to pay. That is, if he did actually support this man like he claims to."

Really? In that case, what is the point of having worker's comp insurance, which is required by law? If you were running a small business (which is what a franchise operator is doing), isn't it reasonable to assume that the money you pay for worker's comp insurance is going to cover the cost of workplace injuries?

Basically, you're saying that the responsibility should fall back on the owner, so the insurance company has no incentive at all to pay out promptly - even though they're collecting premiums and offering coverage, it's in their interest to delay paying out in the hope that any scandal (like this one) will reflect poorly on the business owner that's buying the insurance, rather than on the insurance company. Sounds like a great get-out for the insurance companies - their clients are required to purchase Workman's Comp. by law, but will take blame for any bad faith on the part of the insurance companies.

Oh, I guess the restaurant owner could pay out and then try to sue the insurance company for the money. Good luck with that; pretty much any lawyer could go into court and argue that the business owner's decision to pay out meant that they were accepting liability, since that's the way the contract is structured. It's the insurance company that is at fault here, fucking over both the injured worker and the business owner that bought insurance in good faith that it would cover his employees.

[Ferret Annica]

14. McDonald's obviously deliberately torpedoed this man's claim initially

so I say this fucking nasty system is broke. Seeing this denial infuriates me. I have myself had the system cut then restore my unemployment twice last year for a stupid technicality the system self corrected twice after replicating their mistake when I foolishly engaged the process to get dismissal in a county fair job meant to last but one week to get the record straight.

I do not trust anything like unemployment or worker's comp. The system disrupts and even destroys peace of mind and the economic stability of a worker it is meant to help. The stress I myself felt at the phone cutoffs, eviction and other turmoil the wait for the back pays to be restored was horrible.

I don't give a shit about the point you make. I have nothing but hostile antipathy for the system you defend and the points you make which yes, I am well aware of.

I want the current system gutted like a fish and changed drastically. This case perfectly displays the insanity it creates, and if I were the franchise owner, I would of tried my very best to make sure the claim went through the first time, and would have paid the medical expenses myself and refused any patience with the comp system if the first ruling went against this man's claim.

I would do the right thing, even if it cost me money. Thanks for the reply, but you are wasting your breath. I am an avowed enemy of this comp system for medical claims, and that will never never change unless the system is completely revamped first.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. You are wise not to eat at McDonalds

Patronize a healthier venue for your food. (I've never been able to eat hot food at a McDonald's without getting nauseous and then quite ill--and I've tried, off and on, since 1956.)

I hope that the young man recovers fully and is able to secure employment elsewhere where he will be appreciated.

[Yes We Did]

8. I've been going to Potbelly's and Cosi instead.

Actually much better. Not cheaper, but tastes much better.

[seabeyond]

16. mcdonalds once a month or every other months isnt going ot hurt a person

i dont think anyone would suggest a steady diet of mcdonald is healthy, but in our family, we approach most things with the idea of moderation

[lunatica]

15. Your decision may give you 20 extra years of healthy life

Have you ever watched Supersize Me? It's a powerful documentary. Here's a trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Lkyb6SU5U

[Yes We Did]

23. I NEVER supersize anything anymore...

In fact, I rarely get more than a double cheeseburger or McChicken.

But yeah... there are a lot of better choices out there that are healthier. Had a panini today instead.

[alfredo]

19. I have little faith in worker's comp. Even if you do get WC, they watch you

and spy on you in hopes of finding cause to dump you. I lucked out in that I got SS and a pension.

[baldguy]

20. "Franchising" is one way wealthy multi-national corporations avoid fulfilling their responsibility.

Each McDonald's "store" - they don't call them restaurants - is independently owned & operated by the franchisee investor.

[lildreamer316]

24. Their response. n/t