More from the "You couldn't make it up" file

It seems that one Rodney Parham, a McDonald's employee, has had his worker's compensation claim denied. Here are the facts, most of which are visible on the McDonalds security video.

In August 2008 one Perry Kennon, 27, was beating a woman in the McDonald's where Mr Parham worked. Parham broke up the asualt and forced the attacker Kennon outside. Kennon then shot Mr Parham three times. Mr Parham then walks back inside the McDonnalds and collapses. After three surgeries, $300,000 in medical bills and six months recovery Mr Parham filed a workers compensation claim for his injuries. Claims specialist Misty Thompson with insurance company Ramsey, Krug, Farrell and Lensing responded, denying Haskett's claim, noting "We've denied this claim in its entirety, it's our opinion that Mr. Haskett's injuries did not arise out of or within the course of his employment," a portion of the statement reads.

So lets see, Mr Parham saves a woman from a beating inside McDonalds. Now I'm not sure of the law here but it does seem likely that the woman might well have held McDonalds liable for her injuries, possibly serious given that her assailiant subsequently shot Mr Parham three times, arguing that McDonalds had a duty to act to insure her safety in the store. So Mr Parham, for whatever his reasons, interveened and drove the attacker outside where he was shot three times. Rather than regarding Mr Parham as the hero he is, McDonalds through their insurer denies Mr Parham's injury claim on the argument that it wasn't his job to intervene thus his injuries fall outside worker's compensation insurance!

Stunning!

It leads one to wonder. Suppose there had been a robery and Mr Parham was shot trying to save another employee or patron. Since that's not his job, presumably according to McDonalds and their insurer that responsability falls to the police, he could be denied worker's compensation. Suppose there had been a fire and Mr Parham was injured trying to put it out before others were injured or the business destroyed. Since he's not a fireman presumably his injuries would fall outside worker's compensation.

It troubles me that in more and more areas of contemporary American life, businesses shirk what is by any common sense standard their responsability. They deny financial liability and often moral responsability for their own actions.

Shame on you McDonalds.

PS-How about we boycot McDonalds and see if they can bring themselves to treat Mr Parham like the exceptional employee he is and, oh by the way, pay his altogether justified worker's compensation claim.