Woman sues after McDonald's door hit her in the head

CHARLESTON - A Kanawha County woman has filed a suit against a local McDonald's after she was injured when an electric sliding door hit her in the back of the head while she was eating her meal.

Lula M. Haynes filed the suit Aug. 19 in Kanawha Circuit Court against McDonald's and Paul McGervey, the store manager.

According to the suit, Haynes was a patron of the South Charleston McDonald's on April 30, 2007.

Haynes claims she sat at a table near the door leading to the children's play area. According to the suit, the seat was in the opening path of the sliding glass door.

"While Ms. Haynes was eating her dinner the electric door slid open and struck her on the back of the head causing serious injury requiring medical attention," the suit says.

Haynes claims the injury required hospitalization, physical therapy and in-house nursing care, which resulted in significant medical expenses that placed an undue financial burden on her.

In the two-count suit, Haynes claims she suffered permanent injuries, loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, medical care, hospital treatment and mental anguish. She seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Attorney David M. Dawson is representing Haynes. The case has been assigned to Judge Louis Bloom.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 08-C-1597