What About that McDonald's Spilled Coffee Case?

26 Jul 2007

By Attorney Matt Noyes

Critics of injured persons seeking responsibility and accountability for injuries they cause often wrap themselves in the highly publicized McDonald's scalding coffee case. However, a lot of people do not have all the facts surrounding this case. Most of the reports focused on the substantial punitive damage award, the fact that people know coffee is hot, and the claim that the injured woman caused her own injuries.

The reports failed to bring out some facts that everyone should know. Facts that include:

• When the cup of coffee spilled in the 79-year-old woman's lap, she suffered third degree burns over 6% of her body including her inner thighs, buttocks, genital and groin area.
• The 79-year-old woman required eight days in the hospital and painful skin grafts and débridement.
• At the time of the spill, she was sitting in a parked car attempting to remove the cup's lid to add cream and sugar. She was not driving the vehicle, nor was it moving.
• Prior to her burns, McDonald's knew its coffee scalded consumers--they received more than 700 burn claims between 1982 and 1992.
• Even though McDonald's knew that a burn hazard existed with substances served above 140 degrees, the company maintained a policy to keep their coffee at 180 to 190 degrees.
• When the 79-year-old woman tried to settle her case for $20,000, McDonald's refused.
• The jury's punitive damages verdict of $2.7 million equaled about 2 days of McDonald's coffee sales.
• The punitive damages award was reduced to $480,000 and the parties later settled.

Thanks to this 79-year-old injured woman, the company immediately lowered the temperature of its coffee so that McDonald's customers who order coffee no longer risk third degree burns.