Man sues McDonald’s, saying burger had wires in it

A Spokane man who said he bit into a McDonald’s hamburger two years ago and got a mouthful of wire is suing the fast-food giant.

Jason M. DeGeorgio, 30, suffered severe cuts on March 18, 2005, after taking a single bite of a Quarter Pounder with cheese, according to a complaint filed Monday in Spokane County Superior Court.

“A piece of wire went through his cheek,” said Russell Van Camp, DeGeorgio’s lawyer. “Well, it didn’t go all the way through, but there were severe lacerations and heavy bleeding.”

DeGeorgio went to the emergency room at Valley Hospital and Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries. He took the burger back to the restaurant at 10516 E. Sprague Ave., but managers weren’t responsive, Van Camp said.

“They said, ‘We’ll give you a free coupon for a burger, or go get an attorney,’ ” the lawyer said.

DeGeorgio filed the suit after spending two years trying to negotiate with the insurance company for McDonald’s, CNA Insurance, to no avail, his lawyer said.

“They finally said, ‘Bite me,’ ” said Van Camp, who had sought a $75,000 settlement.

Mark Ray, who has owned the Spokane restaurant for at least six years, said that he took DeGeorgio’s 2005 claim seriously and conducted a thorough investigation.

“Nothing is more important to me than the safety and well-being of my customers and employees. I set rigorous standards for food quality and safety and take pride in the food I serve my customers,” Ray said in a statement.

No complaint was filed with the Spokane Regional Health District, which monitors restaurants, said Julie Graham, the agency’s spokeswoman.

Paisley Madison, a spokeswoman for McDonald’s Northwest Region, said she couldn’t discuss dealings with the insurance company or comment further.

DeGeorgio was on his way to work when he stopped for a hamburger, the complaint said.

“… When he bit into it, he experienced immediate pain. Plaintiff’s mouth filled with blood, and he spit the food out into the bag he was given,” the complaint said. “When he looked at the burger, he noticed there were pieces of wire coming out of the meat pattie.”

DeGeorgio, a technology worker, required $2,500 in medical and dental care and continues to have pain in his jaw, the lawyer said. DeGeorgio did not return a call to his Spokane home.

DeGeorgio still has the hamburger, now frozen, and the heavy-gauge wire, which could have come from packaging for lettuce or other produce, Van Camp said.

The lawsuit seeks damages to be determined at trial plus legal fees.