McDonald’s Employee in ICU after Coworker Throws Hot Oil on Him

Can You Believe It?

Yuba City, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A 20-year-old McDonald’s employee is in the ICU after one of his coworkers attacked him with hot oil on May 30.

Officials said Jacob Smith, 20, has been in intensive care for more than a week with severe burns on his face, neck, arm and back. Smith said his coworker, Jalani Bluett, 23, was responsible for the baffling, random attack.

Smith’s family said he was in “excruciating” pain from the burns. Officials said he was burned over 22 percent of his body.

“What should have been a normal day at work turned into a nightmare,” Smith’s mother, Amber Smith, wrote in a GoFundMe fundraiser. “Jacob suffered severe second-degree burns to his face, arm, and back. He was rushed for medical treatment and will be spending time in the hospital as doctors work to help him heal. He now faces a long and painful recovery process that will include ongoing medical care, treatments, and time away from work.”

“He was in the office getting ready to count the money when he saw out of the corner of his eye something, and he just turned, and the oil was just thrown on him,” his mother told KCRA.

Neither Smith nor the police said they have a motive for the attack.

“As his mother, it broke my heart when he looked at me and said, ‘Why would he do this to me?,'” Amber Smith said on GoFundMe.

The fundraiser had raised more than $62,000 by Sunday evening. 

“The pain he’s experiencing is so excruciating that they can’t give him a level of pain medicine outside of the ICU,” Amber said.

Doctors are working to reduce the size of the burns to minimize the need for skin grafts, she said.

Bluett fled the restaurant after the assault and was named a missing person by the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office. Police said Bluett was considered a risk due to a diagnosis and vulnerabilities.

He was later found and arrested on multiple felony charges, including battery causing serious bodily injury. He is being held at the Sutter County jail. Without bail. Police said they are still investigating what led up to the attack.

“I want justice to be served. I want him to serve the time he needs to serve for what he’s done to my son,” Smith’s mother said. “I mean, I don’t wish bad things towards him. I just want him to understand that what he did — really understand what he did — and the pain that he caused to my son is excruciating.”

Smith’s mother said the money raised will help with Smith’s recovery.

“While Jacob focuses on healing, he will be unable to work and earn an income. The financial burden of lost wages, everyday living expenses, transportation, and recovery-related costs will continue to grow in the weeks and months ahead,” the GoFundme said.

Smith is expected to undergo surgery next week, but his family doesn't know how long his recovery will take, so they're taking it day by day and staying by his side, his family said.

Each year in the U.S., more than 40,000 workers suffer occupational burn injuries. The majority of workplace burns are thermal (from hot liquids, steam or machinery) and chemical. Roughly 5,000 of the burns are specifically from workplace fires and explosions. Of the thermal burns, most of the injuries come from construction, manufacturing and food service.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, mild to moderate workplace burns can result in an average of 4 to 5.5 days of missed work. Severe cases can require extended hospitalization at specialized centers.

According to the National Safety Council, workplace burn injuries are the second costliest type of occupational injury behind motor-vehicle crashes, averaging around $63,000 to  $65,000 per lost-time workers' compensation claim.

And according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), the costs for a typical burn claim focuses heavily on medical and indemnity expenses. Medical costs generally account for the largest share of the costs, averaging about $38,000 to $40,000 per claim, which includes extensive emergency care, skin grafts, and long-term surgeries, while indemnity and wage replacement average a little over $12,000 per claim to cover missed workdays.

OSHA said there are other costs that businesses pay for burn injuries. For every $1 of direct costs, businesses usually pay about $3 in indirect costs including overtime and temporary staffing, administrative time, equipment and facility repair, and loss of productivity based on the psychological impact on the rest of the employees, slowed operations and lower morale.

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