Mother Sues McDonald's After Son, 6, Allegedly Pricked by Used Needle in Longmont Restroom

A Longmont mother has filed a lawsuit alleging her 6-year-old son was pricked by a used hypodermic needle he found in the bathroom of a McDonald's restaurant.

The complaint, filed Monday in Boulder County District Court by Robin Newman, describes an incident in June 2019 at the restaurant at 245 S. Main St. According to the filing, the boy came out of the restroom holding an uncapped syringe.

A Longmont police report states that the boy at first denied being poked by the needle. He later said his finger hurt. Newman then looked at his hand and noticed a mark that could have come from a needle prick, the report says.

She took her son to an emergency room, where he was treated for possible exposure to bodily fluids, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit seeks damages for negligence. It alleges that McDonald's employees should have done more to shield customers from this kind of exposure. It also says a manager at the restaurant at the time acknowledged that the area had a problem with illicit drug users.

This is not Newman's first legal action over the incident. In a 2023 lawsuit, she wrote that her son went through several weeks of testing to make sure he had not contracted a "life-long incurable disease," and that he developed post-traumatic stress disorder. She said his care cost nearly $7,000. She brought that case without an attorney, and it was dismissed under conditions that let her re-file the claims later, court records show.

Newman's attorney, Glenn Fair, declined to discuss details of the lawsuit on Wednesday. Representatives for McDonald's did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Other Colorado children have also been pricked by syringes found in public places. In 2019, a 4-year-old in Boulder was stuck twice by a needle he found while playing near a creek, according to Denver7. That same year, 9News reported that two Lincoln Elementary School students in Denver were stuck by syringes found in an outside stairwell.

Used syringes can spread infections, including hepatitis and HIV.