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Pooler Lawsuit

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LAWSUIT AT MCDONALDS

COREY L. BROOKS
INSTRUCTOR GEORGE WEIMER

BUSINESS LAW 100

STRAYER UNIVERSITY
28 APRIL 2012

Summarize the actions that lead to the lawsuit There were two women found unconscious on the bathroom floor of the McDonalds’ in Pooler GA. Nine others were complaining about feeling sick and nauseous with excessive breathing. Inside the McDonalds a carbon dioxide leak sent 10 people to the hospital. An investigation revealed that a line used to funnel off excessive carbon dioxide into the outdoors became disconnected. This allowed carbon dioxide stored in tanks in the backroom to flow into the wall of the women’s bathroom. A line used to funnel excess carbon dioxide out of the restaurant got disconnected. The gas, which is kept in tanks in a back room of the McDonald’s, was flowing into the wall next to the women’s bathroom instead of going outside. Since the incident a lawsuit was filed against the owners of the Pooler McDonalds’. In a lawsuit filed Carol Barry and her husband, William Barry, filed the suit in the State Court of Chatham County. The lawsuit stated that the owners were aware of similar incidents at other McDonald's, but failed to properly maintain the line funneling the carbon dioxide from the fast food restaurant. In the lawsuit it says the couple was traveling from New York to Jacksonville when they stopped at the Pooler McDonald's to get a beverage and use the restroom. In accordance with the lawsuit, Carol Barry collapsed unconscious in the restroom because of the carbon dioxide leak. It also says that her husband also got sick after going in the restroom to help her. Further their lawyers say that since their release from the Memorial University Medical Center, they’ve suffered chest pains, heart issues, headaches, coughing, and nightmares. The suit is seeking $15,000 in damages. It’s the third time in six years carbon dioxide sickened people at a U.S. McDonald’s.
Discuss what management could have done in terms of risk management to have prevented the events that lead to the lawsuit. The type of things that management could have done in terms of risk management to have prevented the events that lead to the lawsuit is operational consideration, employee awareness, system maintenance and testing, and emergency response planning. The first preventive measure would be operational considerations. A thorough review of the hazards associated with all credible scenarios must be performed. After identification of these hazards, appropriate safeguards must be established and maintained. The next thing that can be done in terms of risk management is employee awareness. The owners of McDonalds could have made all the employees aware of the possible effects of CO2 and the safeguards. The employees should be made aware of all the warning signs posted in CO2 protected areas. Additionally, employees who are likely to enter such areas should receive a basic level of instruction into the operating principles of the system to include alarms and related hazards, as well as evacuation procedures. The third risk management preventive would be system maintenance and testing requirements. CO2 systems containing electronic detection, actuation and control features should have these features tested and maintained. The final preventive measure is emergency response planning. A plan should be in place for such emergencies. The companies should, at least, identify specific things and way to respond to any such CO2 leakage. Planning should address the possibility that occupants could be overcome and need medical attention. Additionally, any unusual conditions that could adversely affect emergency response, such as complex room geometries, should be considered. Only an enhanced awareness of the hazards inherent to these systems, coupled with management attention to detail in their design, operation, maintenance and testing will help to ensure the safety and effectiveness of these systems. In many instances, this may necessitate upgrades to address identified system or operational deficiencies. In other cases, the cost of these upgrades may lead to the removal and replacement of these systems with equivalent, yet safer fire suppression alternatives.
Discuss the ethical considerations reflected in the laws applicable to this case
The lawsuit states that that the owners were aware of similar incidents at other McDonald's, but failed to properly maintain the line funneling the carbon dioxide from the fast food restaurant and his could prove to be an ethical issue for the owners. The owners of the McDonald’s restaurant have an obligation to insure their employees and customers are safe at all times. Under Georgia law, the McDonald’s in Pooler may be held liable for the wrongful death of Ms. Felton as well as the injuries sustained by Ms. Berry and any other patrons who were sickened. Wrongful death actions in Georgia allow the family of the deceased to recover the full value of their loved one’s life. This includes both an economic element, such as lifetime earnings, as well as the value of the person to his or her family.
Determine which sources of law would be most relevant in this case and how management could leverage knowledge of those sources to prevent similar instances in the future “According to the law, we hold some responsibilities to one another. It we should fail to live up to that, we breach that responsibility and our breach can lead to someone getting injured, then liability for that injury becomes an issue. Business owners have a duty to make sure people are reasonably safe while on the property. If the business fails to make the property reasonably safe and someone is injured then the business owner can be held liable. Often times, it may be a combination of the property owner’s and the injured person’s fault and now they must determine how much liability each party has.” (PAR 5) legal issues “Premises liability deals with the breach of duty that is owed by an owner or occupier of property to protect invitees from dangerous conditions and defects on the property. The owner/occupier has a duty to exercise reasonable care in the management of the premises to ensure persons are protected from an unreasonable risk of harm. Premises liability laws make the person who is in possession of land or premises liable for injuries suffered by persons who visit the premises. While some premises cases appear simple, knowing the law is essential. In some states the law is set up to favor the premises owner not the victim. In other states, the law favors the one who is injured. If a person was injured while visiting a property that belongs to someone else, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible from an experienced personal injury lawyer that handles premises liability cases.”(PAR 1) legal issues Recommend what management might be able to do to pursue alternate resolutions (outside of court). The management of the McDonalds’ in Pooler, GA in order to pursue alternate resolutions could get the lawyers together and try to get an out of court settlement. An out of court settlement would reduce the amount of time spent in litigation and save money on court and legal fees. “In many cases, negotiation, mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures can help the company maintain a relationship with the opposing party, reduce legal expenses, dispose of issues relatively quickly, and allow for flexible business-oriented solutions.”

REFERENCE

http://www.wtoc.com/story/15418531/mcdonalds-in-pooler-evacuated

http://www.thecoastalsource.com/news/local/story/Woman-Sues-Following-Incident-at-Pooler-McDonalds/J6oWAMFbE0iLBdzwlL0J3A.cspx

http://www.georgia-trial-lawyers.com/2011/09/carbon-dioxide-in-pooler-mcdonalds-leads-to-death-of-elderly-florida-woman/

http://savannahnow.com/news/2011-09-14/carbon-dioxide-blamed-pooler-mcdonalds-death

http://www.garymartinhays.com/news/woman-dies-eight-injured-after-exposure-to-odor-at-mcdonalds-909

http://www.hss.energy.gov/publications/Safety_health_bulletins/bull/bull9901.html

http://www.umuc.edu/library/libhow/articles.cfm

http://wiki.injuryboard.com/help-center/articles/legal-issues-and-property-owners-liability.aspx

McDonalds lawsuits/By Sharon Bernstein, Los Angeles Times June 23, 2010[->0]

Bagley/Savage (2010) Managers and the legal environment Mason, OH : South-Western Cengage Learning, ©2010 Mason, OH : South-Western Cengage Learning, ©2010

[->0] - http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/23

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