Chicago Product Liability Lawyer - Article

The McDonald’s Coffee Lawsuit – Frivolous, or Necessary?

We’ve all heard the story of the woman who sued McDonald’s after suffering burns from a cup of coffee at one of their drive-through restaurants. Although it happened back in 1992, this case is still often used as an example of a frivolous or silly lawsuit. In reality, many people are uninformed about certain crucial details of the case.

For example, it is often claimed that Stella Liebeck, the 79 year old woman burned by the coffee, was driving at the time of the spill. This seems to imply that the injury was due to her own bad decision- making. In fact, her grandson was the one driving the car, and the car was not in motion at the time of the spill.

More importantly, Liebeck did not experience the sort of mild burn we have all felt after spilling a bit of coffee or tea. She received third degree burns that required skin grafts, costing her thousands of dollars in medical bills and leaving permanent scars. This is, needless to say, not what coffee generally does to people, and in fact the cup of coffee she had been served was about 170 degrees Fahrenheit. For reference, the coffee people make at home is usually around 135 degrees Fahrenheit. A national burn center had even recommended, prior to this incident, that coffee not be served above 130 degrees.

Liebeck was not the first person injured by McDonald’s negligent practices. There had been other burn victims, all of whom were quietly paid off by the company. Liebeck brought a seriously dangerous business practice to light, and her case resulted in important changes being made to McDonald’s policy.

If you have been injured by a defective product, do not be afraid to demand the compensation you deserve. Contact Chicago product liability lawyers Friedman & Bonebrake at (312) 466-8200.