Techno
11-12-2002, 11:06 PM
I checked into this since I have heard several versions. The most important item though is this is no joke.
The coffee was around 190 degrees, at this temp it can cause 3rd degree burns in 3- 7 seconds. when at the normal temp, 20 degrees lower, take over 20 seconds.
She was a passenger. The car was stopped. She opened the cup ( took it out of the holder) to put in cream and suger when the cup collapsed, she didn't spill it, the cup collapsed.
She wasn't driving or holding it between her legs.
The cups are designed to be cheap even though Mcdonalds purposely serves the hottest coffee. They checked other fast food resteraunts and they were all 20 degrees cooler. Mcdonalds makes it a point to sell coffee this hot as a selling point.
Without the lid the cup isn't strong enough. High heat further weakens it.
They already knew that the coffee was a hazard. Others had been severly burned and Mcdonalds had settled out of court.
This (81 year old) woman only asked them to pay $800 for her medical bills and pain. They refused. She got pissed.
She had 3rd degree burns on her groin, thighs and butt. Skin grafts were required as are most of these cases. 6% of her body was burned.
If you want to check do a search- Mcdonalds coffee lawsuit.
So what do you think? Is this the joke that it was made out to be?A hazard?
Negligence?
The judge later lowered the award although he charged mcdonalds with being idiots. This lowered award was later further lowered, I believe between mcdonalds and the woman.
The coffee was around 190 degrees, at this temp it can cause 3rd degree burns in 3- 7 seconds. when at the normal temp, 20 degrees lower, take over 20 seconds.
She was a passenger. The car was stopped. She opened the cup ( took it out of the holder) to put in cream and suger when the cup collapsed, she didn't spill it, the cup collapsed.
She wasn't driving or holding it between her legs.
The cups are designed to be cheap even though Mcdonalds purposely serves the hottest coffee. They checked other fast food resteraunts and they were all 20 degrees cooler. Mcdonalds makes it a point to sell coffee this hot as a selling point.
Without the lid the cup isn't strong enough. High heat further weakens it.
They already knew that the coffee was a hazard. Others had been severly burned and Mcdonalds had settled out of court.
This (81 year old) woman only asked them to pay $800 for her medical bills and pain. They refused. She got pissed.
She had 3rd degree burns on her groin, thighs and butt. Skin grafts were required as are most of these cases. 6% of her body was burned.
If you want to check do a search- Mcdonalds coffee lawsuit.
So what do you think? Is this the joke that it was made out to be?A hazard?
Negligence?
The judge later lowered the award although he charged mcdonalds with being idiots. This lowered award was later further lowered, I believe between mcdonalds and the woman.