The Associated Press 02/25/00 Fieger files $100 million lawsuit against McDonald's
Attorney Geoffrey Fieger has filed a $100 million lawsuit against McDonald's Corp. on behalf of a couple who say they were attacked by three employees at a McDonald's restaurant.
Alfred Pointer said he was attacked last month when he asked for a refund because his milkshake was watery. He said his wife, Tijuana Pointer, also was attacked when she came to his aid.
Police say two people were arrested and charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm in the Jan. 21 attack. A third man has been named in a warrant but police say he has not yet been arrested. Police would not release their names Friday.
The lawsuit filed Thursday in Wayne County Circuit Court also names franchisees Washington and Tina Brundidge. Tina Brundidge said Friday that she had no comment on the lawsuit. A manager at the McDonald's also declined comment.
McDonald's Corp. did not immediately return messages left Friday afternoon.
The lawsuit alleges that the couple suffered physical injuries and emotional distress. It also alleges that the defendants were negligent.
Fieger, best known for defending assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, said Pointer has been left partially blinded in one eye.
"I've never heard of a case in which a patron of a fast food restaurant has been brutally assaulted for asking for a milkshake to be refunded," Fieger said.
Pointer, 38, deferred all comment Friday to Fieger. But following the attack last month, Pointer told The Associated Press he was trying to return a milkshake while at the drive-thru window when an employee became upset over his refund request.
Pointer said when he told the employee the shake was watery, the employee replied, "`All McDonald's shakes are like that' with a little anger in his voice."
Pointer said the man asked him to pull up to the front of the restaurant. When he did, the employee came out and the two exchanged words, Pointer said.
He said when he went inside to speak to a manager, the employee, a manager and a second employee attacked him.
"All of a sudden all three commenced to beatin' me," he said last month. He said when his wife and 5-year-old son ran in "they grabbed her ... pushed my little 5-year-old down in the struggle. ...
"It was like out of the twilight zone. McDonald's? A public restaurant in broad daylight?" Pointer said.
He also said last month that his wife suffered bruises from being kicked by one of the alleged attackers.
"This was a brutal, uncalled for attack. All I asked for was a dollar refund," he said.