Case Update: Another McDonalds Spilled Hot Coffee Case?

In another somewhat unusual and interesting case of McDonalds Hot Coffee, a customer of McDonalds purchased some coffee.  The servers provided the coffee with a lid on the cup of coffee.  The client/customer then sat down in the facility to drink the coffee. As the client began to drink the coffee, the lid came off, and the hot coffee spilled on to the customer’s lap causing severe second degree burns.  McDonalds is being sued for it’s negligence in placing the lid on the cup.  Not only was the client severely burned, the incident has caused severe emotional issues.

We will see how McDonalds handles this case.

This is somewhat related, but different, from the infamous coffee spill case that received significant publicity many years ago.  Although there was negative public reaction to the case, the public did not know that the customer in that case was not driving a car, but a passenger, and her burns were so severe that she was hospitalized for weeks.

Degrees of heat response angers jury and leads to large award

McDonalds had known about the problem of excessively hot coffee for years, and they refused to lower the temperature to what other fast food places did, by saying that since a lower temperature will also cause 3rd degree burns, what difference does it make if the coffee is much hotter.  This argument did not sit well with the jury, who got angry with McDonalds and awarded what they did.