The hot coffee lawsuit has become a favorite target of critics of the American legal system, who argue that it represents an example of frivolous lawsuits and “jackpot justice.” They claim that Liebeck was to blame for her own injuries, and that the large award was an undeserved windfall. However, the judge later reduced the punitive damages to $480,000, and the case ultimately settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. The jury ultimately found McDonald’s liable for Liebeck’s injuries and awarded her $200,000 in compensatory damages and $2.7 million in punitive damages. The company also admitted that it kept the coffee at a temperature between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit, which is significantly higher than the industry standard of around 160 degrees. She initially sought $20,000 in damages to cover her medical expenses, but when McDonald’s refused to settle the case, Liebeck decided to take the fast-food giant to court.ĭuring the trial, it was revealed that McDonald’s had received over 700 complaints of burns from its hot coffee in the previous 10 years. Liebeck’s injuries were severe, resulting in third-degree burns on her thighs, buttocks, and groin area that required hospitalization and skin grafting. She attempted to remove the lid to add cream and sugar, but the cup tipped over and the coffee spilled onto her lap. The incident occurred in 1992, when Liebeck ordered a cup of coffee at a drive-thru window and placed it between her knees while sitting in the passenger seat of her parked car. The jury found, among other things, that the coffee was defective and that McDonald’s engaged in conduct justifying the punitive damages.The hot coffee lawsuit refers to a legal case in which Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old woman from Albuquerque, New Mexico, sued McDonald’s after she spilled hot coffee on herself and suffered severe burns. He said the woman’s medical bills totaled nearly $10,000.Īccording to testimony, Liebeck was a passenger in a car driven by her grandson outside a McDonald’s in southeast Albuquerque when she was burned by a cup of coffee purchased at a drive-through window. A California case was settled out of court for $235,000, he said. Liebeck’s lead counsel, Reed Morgan of Houston, said there have been several lawsuits nationally over the temperature of McDonald’s coffee but that he believes the Liebeck case was the first to reach the verdict stage. This happened to be McDonald’s,″ Anglada said Wednesday. Juror Richard Anglada confirmed the jury was trying to deliver a message to the industry. McGee also said the jury was ″concerned about an industrywide practice″ of selling hot coffee. He said McDonald’s expressed no willingness during the trial to turn down the heat or print a warning.ĭefense attorney Tracy McGee said the company will appeal. In contrast, he said, coffee brewed at home is generally 135-140 degrees. The lawsuit contended Liebeck’s coffee was 165-170 degrees when it spilled. Testimony indicated McDonald’s coffee is served at 180-190 degrees, based on advice from a coffee consultant who has said it tastes best that hot, Wagner said Thursday.
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