Court Case: Stella Liebeck's Case

Stella Liebeck, was a 79-year-old woman who was severely burned by McDonald coffee that she spilled in her lap in 1992. This was a frivolous litigation in the public eye. However, the facts of the case tell a different story. The coffee that burned her was very hot. So hot, that it caused third degree burns through clothes, in three seconds. Her skin was burned away to the layers muscle and fat. She was hospitalized for eight days, with multiple skin grafts, followed by other necessary procedures. Her recovery lasted two years. Liebeck offered to settle for $20,000, McDonald refused to settle, the instead offer her only $800. This did not begin to cover her medical expenses. Jurors saw graphic photos of Liebeck’s burns at trial. Experts testified about how hot coffee should be,
McDonalds knew its coffee was causing serious burns. They decided that with billions of cups served annually, the number of burns was insignificant. The whole point of the lawsuit was to try to right a wrong. The defense knew before the lawsuit was filed, that the temperature of the water was 190 degrees or so. Most home coffee makers produce coffee that is between 135 and 150 degrees. Other restaurants serve coffee at 60 degrees can also cause third degree burns, but it takes 20 seconds, which usually gives the customer enough time to wipe away the coffee before severe incidents happen. The product was dangerous, and the temperature should have been lower. The jurors awarded Mrs. Liebeck $200,000 in damages for pain, suffering, and medical costs, but those damages were reduced to $160,000 because they found her 20 percent responsible. They awarded $2.7 million in damages. That amounted to about two days of revenue for McDonald coffee sales. The trial judge reduced the damages to $480,000, while noting that McDonalds behavior had been reckless. The parties later settled for a confidential