Sued for hot cofee?!
She sued them because the cofee didn't have the words CAUTION HOT written on it and that somebody could burn themselves since it's not on there.
Is this normal? what are your feelings about this? Did she deserve the money?
Answers: 81-year-old woman, Stella Liebeck, who spilled hot coffee on herself and success-fully sued McDonald’s in New Mexico for 2.9 million dollars.
She sued them because the cofee didn't have the words CAUTION HOT written on it and that somebody could burn themselves since it's not on there.
Is this normal? what are your feelings about this? Did she deserve the money?
God no! People usually complain when their coffee isn't hot enough! Most people wait until they get home to drink it. Or they put cream in it. My husband likes his ridiculously hot. He has a mouth of steel! I tried taking a sip of his coffee once... big mistake! She's an idiot.
It's true. It happened years ago (Why did you give me a thumbs down, I stated the facts)
September 1, 1994
The Wall Street Journal
(? 1994, Dow Jones & Co., Inc.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—When a law firm here found itself defending McDonald's Corp. in a suit last year that claimed the company served dangerously hot coffee, it hired a law student to take temperatures at other local restaurants for comparison.
After dutifully slipping a thermometer into steaming cups and mugs all over the city, Danny Jarrett found that none came closer than about 20 degrees to the temperature at which McDonald's coffee is poured, about 180 degrees.
It should have been a warning.
But McDonald's lawyers went on to dismiss several opportunities to settle out of court, apparently convinced that no jury would punish a company for serving coffee the way customers like it. After all, its coffee's temperature helps explain why McDonald's sells a billion cups a year.
But now - days after a jury here awarded $2.9 million to an 81-year-old woman scalded by McDonald's coffee - some observers say the defense was na?ve. "I drink McDonald's coffee because it's hot, the hottest coffee around," says Robert Gregg, a Dallas defense attorney who consumes it during morning drives to the office. "But I've predicted for years that someone's going to win a suit, because I've spilled it on myself. And unlike the coffee I make at home, it's really hot. I mean, man, it hurts."
McDonald's, known for its fastidious control over franchisees, requires that its coffee be prepared at very high temperatures, based on recommendations of coffee consultants and industry groups that say hot temperatures are necessary to fully extract the flavor during brewing.
Before trial, McDonald's gave the opposing lawyer its operations and training manual, which says its coffee must be brewed at 195 to 205 degrees and held at 180 to 190 degrees for optimal taste. Since the verdict, McDonald's has declined to offer any comment, as have their attorneys. It is unclear if the company, whose coffee cups warn drinkers that the contents are hot, plans to change its preparation procedures.
Why most companies are liable for their product. My sister and sell products, we have an insurance company we pay for. We have to put warning labels on our products, to not be liable for them. For our soap we have to state please do not ingest. Did she deserve 2 million no, that was to the extreme. However its the way things are.
It happens, and actually I did some research on this case for a law class. My opinion was that she deserved the money, maybe not that much but it sent a message. The reason this is my decision is due to the extremely high temperature. The coffee was not just hot it was scalding. The woman was badly burned.
Yeah I have heard this story too. It happened a very long time ago. I think she was smart and got a lot of money for her incredible thinking, but at the same time she just seemed to be looking for an excuse to sue somone or some company. I don't think she deserves all of the money, maybe only like 1 million. Oh thanks for adding me as a contact!
Hi Sweetie,
Obviously not, when a person orders coffee they surmise it WILL be hot, coffee verses coke, it's cold. Judge under the influence of O.D. coffee, Vodka opposed 2 water, or tampering in Drug Volt!
LOL, Diana D
The problems with the case wasn't just the lack of a warning, it was the fact that McDonald's sells (Or at least sold) its coffee at higher than average temperatures, and had settled hundreds of cases out of court prior to this suit. They even had an opportunity to settle this one, but offered only $800, despite medical bills alone of $11,000. Thus, the jury found that they had both negligence and knowledge of the danger. The result was proper. In any event, while the jury awarded $2.9 million, the judge reduced it to $640,000, and the parties eventually reached an out-of-court agreement.