A Lawsuit about Spilled Coffee
Remember the woman who sued McDonald’s after she spilled hot coffee on herself? The jury ended up awarding her millions.
Indignantly everyone talked about greedy people using the court system to get rich. Comedians mocked the verdict and cracked jokes. Coffee drinkers moaned that McDonald’s coffee would be served lukewarm from now on.
I got upset too—didn’t that woman know coffee was hot?
I joined the rest of America in condemning such a silly, idiotic lawsuit. The courts should show more sense!
But I was too quick to judge.
I never heard the facts of her case until decades later. Now that I have, my heart hurts for her. She didn’t deserve to become a comedian’s punchline.
Had I been in the courtroom, there’s a good chance I would have sided with the jury.
So here are the underlying facts of the “Hot Coffee Lawsuit.”
The True Facts of the Liebeck vs. McDonald’s Case
A 79 year old woman named Stella Liebeck bought hot coffee at a McDonald’s drive-thru window in Albuquerque, New Mexico on February 27, 1992. Her grandson, who was driving, stopped the car so she could add cream and sugar.
The cup of coffee accidentally spilled in her lap, scalding her groin, thighs and buttocks.
Liebeck’s Medical Treatment:
- The hospital medical staff discovered she’d suffered 3rd degree over 6% of her skin, with an additional 16% of her body covered by lesser burns.
- Liebeck spent 8 days in the hospital.
- While hospitalized, she lost 20% of her body weight, dropping to 83 pounds,
- The doctors did skin grafts, but her body remained permanently disfigured.
- After being released, Stella needed additional home care. Her daughter took three weeks off from work to look after her.
- She remained partially disabled for two years and continued to have additional medical treatment during that time.
This elderly woman’s injuries were pretty serious, but she did spill the hot coffee on herself. So why did the jury award damages?
The jury decided Liebeck was 20% at fault for her own burns, because she spilled the coffee. But the jurors held McDonald’s 80% at fault, because her injuries would never have occurred if McDonald’s had cared more about the welfare of its customers.
Why did the Jury Rule in Liebeck’s Favor?
In the previous 10 years before Stella’s scalding, McDonald’s had received over 700 complaints. Hundreds of customers had gotten burned by the hot coffee, including children. So this was not a new problem. From 1982 to 1992, McDonald’s international parent corporation paid over $500,000 to settle the other injury claims.
Yet for some reason, they decided to fight Liebeck’s claim.
Stella’s family initially asked McDonald’s to cover her past and future medical expenses, plus her daughter’s loss of three weeks income, totaling about $18,000. They rounded their request up to $20,000. In response, this international corporation’s officials offered only $800. Stella’s initial medical bills totaled $10,500.
McDonald’s officials refused to budge; $800, take it or leave it. Meanwhile, the medical expenses steadily increased. Finally, Stella’s family hired a Texas lawyer, who suggested a settlement of $90,000. McDonald’s again said no.
All this over a 49 cent cup of coffee.
In court, the family’s lawyer later proved that the parent company required all their individually owned McDonald restaurants to maintain the coffee temperature between 180-190 degrees. He explained to the jury that coffee kept at 190 degrees caused 3rd degree burns in 2-7 seconds and at the lower 180 degree temperature, it still caused burns in 12-15 seconds.
In contrast, most home coffeemakers heat coffee to between 135 to 150 degrees.
Three Grades of Severity for Burns
In normal life, 3rd degree burns are the most serious. By definition, all the skin layers have died or been destroyed. Professional medical treatment is urgently needed. Skin grafts are necessary to prevent the victims from losing vital fluids. Burn patients face permanent disfigurement, possible limb amputation and even death.
In contrast, most sunburns at the beach are 1st degree burns, which only effect the outer layer of the skin. A 1st degree burn usually isn’t dangerous unless a large percentage of the body has been burned. In that case, seek medical help.
It’s a 2nd degree burn if blisters form. These burns effect the top two layers of skin, the epidermis and the dermis. Recommended treatment includes:
- Soaking the affected area in cold water for at least 5 minutes..
- Swallowing an over-the-counter pain reliever to relieve the pain.
- Gently applying an antibiotic cream and wrapping the burn loosely in gauze to prevent infection from happening.
A doctor decide how serious a burn is by the severity and by the percentage of the patient’s body that has been injured.
The Lawsuit’s Outcome
The jury awarded $160.000 for medical costs and “compensatory damages” and $2.7 million in punitive damages. The uncaring attitude of McDonald’s officers toward their customers bothered them. The judge reduced the final amount to $640,000.
During the appeal process, both parties agreed to an undisclosed settlement.
In 2004, twelve years after being scalded, Stella Liebeck died. She was 91.The burns, medical treatments and lawsuit, were horrible experiences to go through. Afterwards, her family said she “had no quality of life.” Money from the lawsuit ended up being spent on a live-in nurse.
As a result of the lawsuit, McDonald’s started using a new coffee cup design, which cut down on the possibility of spills. Their warning labels have also been enlarged.
The temperature McDonald’s coffee? Still 180-190 degrees.
My Hasty Judgment was Wrong
As believers we are called to know the difference between sin and righteousness; between foolishness and wisdom.
But Christ’s followers are never called to be harsh, contemptuous and dismissive of other people.
I assumed Stella Liebeck filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s because she was greedy.
I also assumed the men and women on her jury were over-sentimental fools, easily swayed by a clever lawyer’s arguments.
The thought never crossed my mind that I didn’t know the true facts. I assumed a short news soundbite gave me a clear and accurate picture of the whole story.
Foolish me.
I’ve lived in this culture all my life—I knew better.
I still occasionally eat at McDonald’s. I enjoy their Chicken Nuggets and their Big Macs. But I wish they’d shown a little more compassion toward the elderly New Mexico woman who liked their coffee.
All images were downloaded from Pixabay.com.
Resources:
A website entitled Consumer Attorneys of California has a clear overview of the Liebeck vs. McDonald Case. To see extra information, click on this link.
Foundry workers who handle molten metal can unfortunately experience 4th, 5th and 6th degree burns. It’s a special danger they face.
