Current:Home > Markets'Traumatic': New York woman, 4-year-old daughter find blood 'all over' Burger King order -AssetLink
'Traumatic': New York woman, 4-year-old daughter find blood 'all over' Burger King order
View
Date:2025-04-17 13:16:02
Hair, unwanted condiments and a random onion ring or two can sometimes pop up in peoples' fast food orders, but a New York woman's lunchtime trip to Burger King led to a nightmarish discovery inside her to-go bag: Blood.
"There was blood all over the hamburger, all over the wrapper, and when I looked in the bag, there was a couple of drops on the french fries," Tiffany Floyd told USA TODAY on Thursday.
It gets worse.
Floyd, 29, said that she and her 4-year-old daughter Matayla went to the drive-thru at the Burger King in Getzville, New York just after noon on July 26 and both got hamburger meals. After driving for about five minutes, Floyd handed Matayla the bag of food but shortly after her daughter said: "I didn't want ketchup."
Floyd took the bag from Matayla, initially thinking Burger King had just messed up the order, and that's when she saw blood on the food. Floyd instantly told her daughter to spit out whatever she had in her mouth.
"I pulled over because I could not believe what was going on," Floyd said.
Floyd learns a Burger King worker had a finger wound
After pulling over, Floyd called the Burger King and told her what she had found.
She says a manager then told her a worker had cut his hand right before cooking and bagging her food. The manager then offered Floyd a refund if she came back with the food, but she says she declined and hung up the phone.
Floyd took to TikTok to share in the experience and warn others in a video that now has over 9 million views and counting.
'We were deeply upset and concerned'
In a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday, Burger King said that the company was "deeply upset and concerned to learn of this incident."
"We have been in contact with the guest and are working with her to resolve this incident," the company said. "This incident was the result of a team member in the restaurant who injured his finger, and upon noticing immediately stepped away."
The fast-food chain says it closed the restaurant over the weekend "to retrain all the team members and hired an external company to complete a deep cleaning."
The location reopened on Monday and "all team members were fully paid for any lost shifts during this temporary shutdown," the company said.
Floyd files health department complaint
Floyd filed a complaint with her local health department and scheduled an appointment with Matayla's pediatrician because she took a bite out of the bloody hamburger.
Floyd said she also went on Burger King's website and filled out a form telling the company about her experience. Burger King contacted her on July 27 about her situation and explained that it took a day to respond because they were trying to make sure her, the manager's and the worker's stories lined up, Floyd said.
"She apologized for this ever happening," Floyd recalled about the conversation.
Floyd said that Burger King did not offer her anything aside from the initial refund and that she's "seeking legal counsel."
'I am emotionally just stressed"
Since the incident, Floyd said Matayla has been to a pediatrician twice, she's scheduled to go see a psychiatrist and she is sleeping in her and her husband's bed.
"I am emotionally just stressed about it," she said, adding how she is also "worn out" and her "anxiety is terrible."
Floyd said her worries primarily stem from concerns about Matayla's health because her daughter will have to get her blood tested every month for up to a year to rule out any possible diseases.
She says she did ask Burger King to identify the worker so she could find out if he had any diseases or anything that could harm Matayla, but the company declined due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA is a federal rule passed in 1996 that protects patients' health information.
"I'm trying to think of other ways to save my daughter from the physical pain because obviously who wants to get their blood done every month?" Floyd said, adding how Matayla is not mentally OK and it is apparent that "something traumatic happened to her."
Floyd said Matayla also will not eat anything because "she thinks everything has blood in it."
veryGood! (53)
Related
- 9/11 hearings at Guantanamo Bay in upheaval after surprise order by US defense chief
- Fight over foreign money in politics stymies deal to assure President Joe Biden is on Ohio’s ballot
- Baby Reindeer's Alleged Stalker Fiona Harvey Shares Her Side of the Story With Richard Gadd
- Limit these ultra-processed foods for longer-term health, 30-year study suggests
- The GOP and Kansas’ Democratic governor ousted targeted lawmakers in the state’s primary
- Man paralyzed after being hit with a Taser while running from police in Colorado sues officer
- 'Killer whale predation': Gray whale washes up on Oregon beach covered in tooth marks
- Lululemon's We Made Too Much Has a $228 Jacket for $99, The Fan-Fave Groove Pant & More Major Scores
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- Trump is limited in what he can say about his court case. His GOP allies are showing up to help
Ranking
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- Pennsylvania to ban cell phone use while driving and require police to collect traffic stop data
- Taylor Swift performs 'Paris' in Paris for surprise song set
- Maryland governor signs online data privacy bills
- Residents in Alaska capital clean up swamped homes after an ice dam burst and unleashed a flood
- Gen Z, millennials concerned about their finances leading to homelessness, new study shows
- 'He just wanted to be loved': Video of happy giraffe after chiropractor visit has people swooning
- Maui to hire expert to evaluate county’s response to deadly wildfire
Recommendation
Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
Girlfriend of Surfer Found Dead in Mexico Shares His Gut-Wrenching Final Voicemail
Justin Bieber’s Exes Sofia Richie and Caitlin Beadles React to Hailey Bieber’s Pregnancy
How Justin Bieber and Pregnant Hailey Bieber's Family Reacted to Baby News
RFK Jr. closer to getting on New Jersey ballot after judge rules he didn’t violate ‘sore loser’ law
New 'Lord of the Rings' revealed: Peter Jackson to produce 'The Hunt for Gollum'
The Integration of DAF Token with Education
New Jersey legislators advance bill overhauling state’s open records law