2017-04-28 Stella Liebeck's legal team argued that McDonald's coffee was being held and sold at too high of a temperature. Reader support helps us keep our explainers free for all. "}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "What Temp Is Starbucks Coffee? On February 27, 1992, Liebeck ordered a 49-cent cup of coffee from the drive-through window of an Albuquerque McDonald's restaurant at 5001 Gibson Boulevard Southeast. ","acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer","text": "Yes, you can sue for hot coffee. In a new segment of Adam Ruins Everything, host Adam Conover explains that basically everything people think they know about the McDonalds hot coffee lawsuit is false. Sanjeev is the tech editor at DeviceMAG. In 2011, trial lawyer Susan Saladoff made a documentary, Hot Coffee, that exposed the true story and corrected some of the public perception of the case. She was in a parked car when the coffee spilled. How hot was the coffee? Known as the 'McDonald's Hot Coffee Case', Liebeck v. McDonald's has taken a major influence in the area of tort law. [22] McDonald's rather than Liebeck was portrayed as the victim. The coffee caused third-degree burns to her groin, thigh, genitalia, and buttocks. The lesson here: There are many problems with our justice system, from vast racial disparities to a bail system that excessively punishes the poor. Scott. Liebeck was the "little old lady" at the center of the infamous "McDonald's coffee lawsuit." . 190 degree coffee causes 3rd degree burns in under 3 seconds. If you want to get in touch here's where to do it: Contact us. Each week, we explore unique solutions to some of the world's biggest problems. So how did the publics view of this case get so warped? [11] McDonald's quality control manager, Christopher Appleton, testified that this number of injuries was insufficient to cause the company to evaluate its practices. Although the court award was well reasoned given the severe injuries suffered, the media spins the . Stella Liebeck's family initially asked McDonald's to cover her out-of-pocket expenses. Home. Thought the McDonald's Hot Coffee Spilling Lawsuit was Frivolous? Its treated as a classic example of judicial overreach and greed: A woman, driving in her car while holding McDonalds coffee between her legs, spills some of the coffee on herself. And we thought this was a very small punitive damage.. In 1992, Stella Liebeck spilled scalding McDonald's coffee in her lap and later sued the company, attracting a flood of negative attention. If youre not as lucky, you will get third-degree or full-thickness burns requiring skin grafting and surgery. Jurors were given a graphic example of what he was talking about when they were shown photos of Liebecks burned groin and skin grafts. (McDonalds. e.preventDefault(); [11][12], Liebeck was taken to a hospital, where it was determined that she had suffered third-degree burns on six percent of her skin and lesser burns over sixteen percent. Liebeck, 79 years old at the time of the incident, was injured when her grandson stopped so that she could add cream and sugar to the coffee. Photos were shown of Liebeck's burned skin, and a burn expert, Dr. Charles Baxter ( Southwestern Medical School ), testified that 170-degree coffee would cause second-degree burns within 3.5 seconds of hitting the skin. This constituted a breach of their duty to Stella Liebeck, which was the direct and proximate cause of her injuries. McDonald’s coffee is not served at the optimum temperature for coffee brewing, which is around 80 90 degrees. The jurors awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages for her pain, suffering, and medical costs, but those damages were reduced to $160,000 because they found her 20 percent responsible. The total was $2,735,000 more than Liebecks lawsuit had requested. During the court hearing, it came to light that the restaurant had fielded hundreds of complaints about burns from their coffee, and had settled many claims in the past, some for as much as $500,000. She was wearing sweatpants, which held the scalding liquid against her skin. According to the American Museum of Tort Law, Liebeck suffered third-degree burns on over 16 percent of her body including her inner thighs and genitals. All rights reserved. Nevertheless, I think the initial award certainly got everybodys attention, not necessarily in a favorable way, said Farnham. Liebeck endured third-degree burns over 16 percent of her body, including her inner thighs and genitalsthe skin was burned away to the layers of muscle and fatty tissue. Basically, that's hot enough to cause horrible third-degree burns. There was a lot more to the case. [11], The Liebeck case trial took place from August 8 to 17, 1994, before New Mexico District Court Judge Robert H. And family oriented 3 reputation consumers 1stella. Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old grandmother, was a passenger in her grandson's car when they drove through. In the case of Liebeck vs. McDonald's, Stella Liebeck was burned by hot coffee she purchased through the drive thru at McDonald's and spilled in her lap in the passenger seat, receiving third degree burns which caused her to go into shock and require skin grafts in the hospital (Retro Report, 2015).Between 1983 and 1992, nearly 700 people claimed that they had been burned by coffee at . Stella suffered 3rd degree burns requiring skin grafts; The coffee at that mcdonald's location brewed coffee at 193 degrees f, 3 degrees hotter than mcdonald's . Though there was a warning on the coffee cup, the jury decided that the warning was neither large enough nor sufficient. In 1992 McDonald's faced a lawsuit because there was a mishap with the temperature of their coffee. 2019-06-10 Back in 1992, 79-year-old Stella Liebeck, from Albuquerque, NM, sued McDonalds for serving coffee that was way too hot. The association has successfully aided the defense of subsequent coffee burn cases. As a result of the lawsuit, McDonald’s changed the way they serve coffee so that it is not as hot. ","acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer","text": "In 1992, Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old woman, ordered coffee from a McDonald's drive-thru. Their point seemed to turn off jurors. Reality: Mrs. Liebeck spent six months attempting to convince McDonald's to pay $15,000 to $20,000 to cover her medical expenses. Case Study: The True Story Behind the McDonald's Coffee Lawsuit, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liebeck_v._McDonald%27s_Restaurants&oldid=1141792275, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 20:48. [8] In June 2011, HBO premiered Hot Coffee, a documentary that discussed in depth how the Liebeck case has centered in debates on tort reform. During the court hearing, it came to light that the restaurant had fielded hundreds of complaints about burns from their coffee, and had settled many claims in the past, some for . Photo: Bill Litant Previous image Next image. . Stella ordered a 49 cent cup of coffee. She went into shock and was hospitalized for a week, undergoing numerous skin graft operations. }); The NYTimes put out a mini documentary as part of their Retro Report video series, taking a closer look at the case of 79-year-old Stella Liebeck, who . Notes. Support our mission, and make a gift today. reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and The FBI and Energy Department think Covid-19 came from a lab. The jury found that McDonald's was 80 percent responsible for the incident. In this case, the restaurant was negligent in heating the coffee to such a high temperature. Stella Liebeck took Mcdonald's to court because she wanted them to pay for her $20,000 medical bill because she was poor and her insurance wouldn't cover it. In attempting to remove the lid of her coffee cup while motionless . This means that it was very hot and could easily cause burns. Commentary; July 27, 2011. The woman submitted photos and medical documents back up her injury claims. You've probably cracked jokes about what happened to Liebeck David Letterman did. On October 21, 2013, The New York Times published a Retro Report video about the media reaction and an accompanying article about the changes in coffee drinking over 20 years. Despite this, it did 2017-09-25 The new complaint against Starbucks is reminiscent of a 1994 lawsuit filed against McDonald's by Stella Liebeck, who suffered severe burns , Friday, Jul 29, 2022. Home Lifestyle The Stella Liebeck Story Serious Burns, Hot Coffee, and a Lot of drama. The Truth About Stella Liebeck. success: function(response) { And then she ultimately wins millions of dollars from the fast food chain becoming rich due to a dumb mistake that was all on her. "}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "On What Theory Did Ms Liebeck's Attorney Base The Lawsuit Upon? 2013-10-18 Liebeck V. McDonalds: The Big Burn. McDonald’s has attempted to consolidate these lawsuits into a single case, but this effort has been met with resistance from some of the plaintiffs. One thing the media definitely left out: Liebeck burned over 16% of her body, and 6%of the burns were third-degree. In the process, she had placed the cup of coffee between her knees while . Medical Revenue Recovery. This theory holds that a person or company is responsible for any injuries that are caused by their negligence. "}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "How Much Money Did Mrs Liebeck Actually Receive? She sued McDonald's and a jury awarded her nearly $3 million in punitive damages for the burns she suffered. Liebeck's attorneys argued that, at 180190F (8288C), McDonald's coffee was defective, and more likely to cause serious injury than coffee served at any other establishment. Lawyers for Stella Liebeck, 81,who suffered third-degree burns in the 1992 incident, contended that McDonald's coffee was too hot. Yep, she's the McDonald's coffee lawsuit lady. On Feb. 27, 1992, her grandson drove her to the local McDonald's where she ordered a 49-cent cup of coffee from the drive-through window. 113 (October 2001), which describes the accident in detail, Amended Complaint about Damages, Stella LIEBECK, Plaintiff, v. MCDONALD'S RESTAURANTS, P.T.S, Inc. and McDonald's Corporation, Defendants. She was partially disabled for two years after the incident, while she received medical attention for her burns. Another McDonald's Hot Coffee Lawsuit Filed in L.A. Man Sues McDonald's Over OJ With a Surprise Spear, McDonald's 'Hot Coffee' Movie to Debut at Sundance, McDonald's Hot Coffee Faker Burned by Photos From Internet: DA. After the hospital stay, Liebeck needed care for three weeks, which was provided by her daughter. 2021-11-17 Stella liebeck of albuquerque, new mexico, was in the passenger seat of her grandson's car when she was severely burned . On June 27, 2011, HBO premiered a documentary about tort reform problems titled Hot Coffee. [18] During the case, Liebeck's attorneys discovered that McDonald's required franchisees to hold coffee at 180190F (8288C). New Delhi o C. Games, 2013-06-17 Liebeck retained an attorney, and much legal wrangling followed. JAMES COLBURN INC I6984 - ZUMAg49_ She spilled the coffee, was burned, and a year later, sued McDonald's. The jury awarded her $2.9 million dollars. Mrs. Liebeck also asked McDonald's to consider changing the excessive temperature of its coffee so others would not be similarly harmed. Stella Liebeck never regained the strength and energy she had before she was burned. Have anything worth reading and writing about it, then why not send us an email to give us more details. [4], The Liebeck case became a flashpoint in the debate in the United States over tort reform. In 1992, Stella Liebeck, a 79 year old woman from Albuquerque, New Mexico, sued McDonald’s after she sustained third-degree burns on her thighs, buttocks, and groin when she accidentally spilled coffee on herself. The only way you can get the attention of a big company [is] to make punitive damages against them, said juror Marjorie Getman. She said the settlement had paid for a live-in nurse. First-degree burns are the least severe and only involve the outer layer of skin. She was hospitalized for eight days while undergoing skin grafting, followed by two years of medical treatment. Something went wrong. Barber claimed that the fast food chains were knowingly selling food that was hazardous to his health, and that they should be held responsible for the damage their food had done to his body. From vimeo.com Author Retro Report Views 27K. Normally, coffee is served at around 140 degrees. Burn Incident. "}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "Why Did McDonald's Serve Coffee So Hot? Learn about 10 scandals that rocked the fast-food industry. } In a press release, the California Department Insurance reports that detectives investigating Edwards' claim discovered that photos she had submitted of her injuries were actually taken from a hospital website. Visit our attorney directory to find a lawyer near you who can help. McDonald's went on to offer Liebeck a small amount of $800. Liebeck offered to settle the case for $20,000, but the company refused. Im a nurse, and I was horrified by the type of injuries that she had sustained, said Liebecks daughter-in-law, Barbara Liebeck. McDonald's responded with a letter offering $800. According to Conover, lawyers spent years running a disinformation campaign, which much of the media bought into, holding up the McDonalds coffee lawsuit as an example of a supposed epidemic of frivolous lawsuits. stella liebeck burns photo. Stella Liebeck, a 79 year-old widow, was sitting in her grandson's car at a McDonald's drive through ordering a meal. [41], "Hot coffee case" redirects here. Instead of the $10,000 she was reportedly seeking for her injury, Edwards is now facing 21 felony counts of insurance fraud and worker's compensation fraud. Then there was the 2.86 million awarded to Stella Liebeck in 1998 after burning herself with a $0.49 MacDonalds coffee claiming it was defective. A large portion of the film covered Liebeck's lawsuit. Ken Wagner, one of Liebeck's attorneys, said that he had asked the jury for punitive damages . Plus, it . While sitting in the passenger seat of her grandson's parked car, she attempted to remove the lid in order to add cream while holding the coffee cup between her knees. Ms. Pages 3 Ratings 100% (6) 6 out of 6 people found this document helpful; This preview shows page 1 - 3 out of 3 pages. What drives us into doing what we do? But what really happened in the case of Liebeck v. McDonald's? Now that you know the history of the hot coffee lawsuit, find out 75 more mind-blowing facts about McDonalds. With a passion for everything that gets geeks high were here to feed you with the latest news. , 2013-03-12 So this apparently happened (heard it through phone) and while it sounds dubious at best, he claims it really happened, and asked what he should do, so I'm asking for some suggestions now. [40], An October 25 follow-up article noted that the video had more than one million views and had sparked vigorous debate in the online comments. 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