Woman Sues After Alleged 'McBeating'
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A West Palm Beach woman Tuesday filed a lawsuit against McDonald's after she allegedly was beaten by two of the restaurant's employees.
Carmen Beauchamp told police that the incident began when a disagreement at the drive-through prompted an altercation in the parking lot in January.
"So she comes back with a handful of ketchup and she just threw it at us -- threw it at the car," Beauchamp said, describing a female teenage employee.
According to the report, Beauchamp entered the store to complain about the behavior and was attacked by the employee and another girl.
"Instead, she got a McBeating, a McBashing," Beauchamp's attorney, Elliot Shaw, said.
Said Beauchamp, "The next thing I knew, she grabbed me by the hair and just dragged me into the kitchen. She was all over me and she wouldn't let go of me at all. I was kicked all over. I had bruises all over my arms, my chest, my legs."
Police were notified of the incident and the restaurant's manager immediately fired the two employees.
But Beauchamp did not file a report on the incident with police, according to Shaw. A report wasn't filed with police until an hour after the incident, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, and police did not say who eventually filed the report.
Beauchamp said she spent weeks healing from the altercation and has had several surgeries to replace patches of hair ripped from her head.
"I never stop thinking about it," she said. "I'm nervous all the time. I get anxiety attacks."
Beauchamp said she is still angry because she never received an apology from the restaurant.
"There is no excuse," she said. "This is incredible. If it wasn't for the seriousness of the damage, it would be humorous -- that you could drive up to a McDonald's where they say you're safe and secure and then they beat you up?"
Mark Watson of Melton Management, which owns the restaurant, did not comment on the allegations.
"We have not seen the lawsuit and therefore cannot comment," Watson said in a written statement. "It is an ongoing matter and we caution anyone from jumping to conclusions before all the facts are in."
