McDonald’s was just found liable after a hot chicken McNuggest from a Happy Meal fell on a little girl’s leg and caused second-degree burns.
That case might remind you of the famous hot coffee lawsuit of the 1990s. But do you remember it correctly? If you don’t have the full picture, you might remember that lawsuit as “frivolous,” but a jury and judge didn’t see it that way.
Stella Liebeck suffered third-degree burns on her legs, groin, and buttocks on Feb. 27, 1992, when she placed a cup of coffee between her legs to hold it steady while she took the lid off.
According to the American Museum of Tort Law, Liebeck was not driving when she spilled the coffee. Her grandson was driving and she was in the passenger seat. They had purchased the coffee in the drive-thru window and then parked the car. The spill happened while the car was parked.
According to reports, she spent more than a week in the hospital and her bills totaled nearly $10,000. She required skin grafts. She initially asked McDonald’s for around $20,000 to cover hospital expenses, but the company refused and the case went to trial.
According to the American Museum of Tort Law, the trial revealed that McDonald’s had a policy of keeping coffee between 180 and 190 degrees. It was also revealed that around 700 other people had been burned before.
According to the Consumer Attorneys of California, coffee at that temperature can cause third-degree burns in three to seven seconds. In Liebeck’s case, she was wearing sweatpants that kept the hot liquid against her skin.
The jurors awarded Liebeck $2.7 million in punitive damages, but the trial judge reduced the award to around $480,000. The parties later settled for a confidential amount, according to the American Museum of Tort Law.