Why Did McDonald’s Lose The Hot Coffee Lawsuit?

The jury awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages — reduced to $160,000 because the jury found her 20 percent at fault — and $2.7 million in punitive damages for McDonald’s callous conduct. (To put this in perspective, McDonald’s revenue from coffee sales alone is in excess of $1.3 million a day.)

What happened to the lady that sued McDonald’s for hot coffee?

In 1992, 79-year-old Stella Liebeck bought a cup of takeout coffee at a McDonald’s drive-thru in Albuquerque and spilled it on her lap. She sued McDonald’s and a jury awarded her nearly $3 million in punitive damages for the burns she suffered.

How hot was McDonald’s coffee before the lawsuit?

Liebeck was wearing cotton sweatpants; they absorbed the coffee and held it against her skin, scalding her thighs, buttocks, and groin. The coffee was heated to somewhere between 180 to 190 degrees Thus begain the story of the infamous McDonald’s hot coffee case.

What did McDonalds do after coffee lawsuit?

The jury found that McDonald’s was 80 percent responsible for the incident. They awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages to cover medical expenses, and $2.7 million (equivalent to $5,000,000 in 2021) in punitive damages , the equivalent of two days of McDonald’s coffee sales.

How much money did liebeck get?

The jury awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages — reduced to $160,000 because the jury found her 20 percent at fault — and $2.7 million in punitive damages for McDonald’s callous conduct (To put this in perspective, McDonald’s revenue from coffee sales alone is in excess of $1.3 million a day.).

Can you sue for spilling hot coffee?

Hot coffee burn lawsuits demand compensation payouts for physical pain and suffering and psychological injuries In cases with severe burns, there will be significant medical expenses that are claimed in the case.

Why did McDonald’s keep their coffee so hot?

During the trial, it was revealed that McDonald’s kept its coffee temperature between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit, even though any drink served at temperatures over 140 degrees Fahrenheit could cause serious burns. The company claimed to do that because it “made the coffee taste better.”.

Did McDonald’s lower their coffee temperature?

In the 10 years before the case, more than 700 people who were scalded by coffee burns made claims against the company. But McDonald’s never lowered the temperature of its coffee.

What was Liebeck’s original request to McDonalds how did McDonalds respond?

Liebeck spent six months attempting to convince McDonald’s to pay $15,000 to $20,000 to cover her medical expenses. McDonald’s responded with a letter offering $800 Mrs. Liebeck also asked McDonald’s to consider changing the excessive temperature of its coffee so others would not be similarly harmed.

How hot does coffee burn your skin?

When the temperature of a hot liquid is increased to 140° F it takes only five seconds or less for a serious burn to occur. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and other hot beverages are usually served at 160° to 180° F , resulting in almost instantaneous burns that may require surgery.

Who Sued McDonalds for making them fat?

In a lawsuit that’s been kicking around the courts since 2002, lawyer Samuel Hirsch is suing McDonald’s for making his teenage clients (now in their 20’s) obese.

What temp is McDonalds coffee now?

In fact, according to CAOC, McDonald’s was using an operator’s manual that dictated the coffee be kept at a temperature between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

What temperature does McDonalds serve coffee now?

Here’s how to remove coffee stains. At the time, McDonald’s required its franchises to brew its coffee at 195 to 205 degrees and sell it at 180 to 190 degrees , far warmer than the coffee made by most home coffee-brewing machines.

How hot is too hot coffee?

Abstract. Hot beverages such as tea, hot chocolate, and coffee are frequently served at temperatures between 160 degrees F (71.1 degrees C) and 185 degrees F (85 degrees C) Brief exposures to liquids in this temperature range can cause significant scald burns.

Does McDonalds use fake meat?

Every one of our McDonald’s burgers is made with 100% pure beef and cooked and prepared with salt, pepper and nothing else—no fillers, no additives, no preservatives. We use the trimmings of cuts like the chuck, round and sirloin for our burgers, which are ground and formed into our hamburger patties.

Why is McDonalds being sued?

A New York man has a beef to pick with McDonald’s and Wendy’s: misleading adverts he says make their burgers look much bigger than they actually are.

Did Starbucks get sued?

NLRB sues Starbucks for retaliating against 3 workers involved in unionizing : NPR. NLRB sues Starbucks for retaliating against 3 workers involved in unionizing Federal officials asked the court to have the employees reinstated. At least 28 Starbucks stores across the country have voted to form a union.

What makes a lawsuit frivolous?

A frivolous claim, often called a bad faith claim, refers to a lawsuit, motion or appeal that is intended to harass, delay or embarrass the opposition. A claim is frivolous when the claim lacks any arguable basis either in law or in fact Neitze v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 325 (1989).

How hot is Dunkin Donuts coffee?

A steaming hot shower would be 120. Brewed coffee is 195 to 205 degrees ; the temperature at which it’s held by a restaurant is 180; and it typically is served at 165 to 180 degrees. All major retailers, he says, adhere to these temperatures.

Why does mcdonalds coffee say do not microwave?

McDonald’s warns their customers not to microwave their coffee cups because the plastic or wax components will melt and create a dangerous spill In order to properly reheat your McDonald’s coffee, it’s best to transfer the contents of your Mcdonald’s cup into a microwave-safe container.