Today, September 29, 2016 is National Coffee day. Some companies offer a free cup of coffee, along with other discounted items, to celebrate. In the legal profession, coffee usually brings up discussions of Ms. Stella Liebeck and the infamous “McDonald’s coffee case.”

National Coffee Day and the “McDonald’s Coffee Case”

Ms. Stella Liebeck brought a product liability lawsuit against McDonald’s in 1992. The suit alleged  a negligent failure to warn of the extremely hot temperature of the coffee served by McDonald’s and that the coffee was inherently dangerous as a result of it temperature. Ms. Liebeck was burned by hot coffee she had purchased at a McDonald’s. Ms. Liebeck placed the coffee between her knees so that she could remove the lid and put cream and sugar in her coffee. She spilled the entire cup of coffee on her lap. The cotton sweatpants Ms. Liebeck was wearing absorbed the coffee and held it against her skin. As a result, Ms. Liebeck received second and third degree burns on her thighs, buttocks and groin.

McDonald’s generally served its coffee at 180-190ºF. McDonald’s internal manuals at the time, which were in evidence at the trial, indicated that its “coffee must be brewed at 195 to 205 degrees and held at 180 to 190 degrees for optimal taste.” During trial, the evidence showed that between 1982 and 1992 there were over 700 reports of people burned by McDonald’s coffee. A quality control manager for McDonald’s testified that the numbers of injuries was quite high and that lowering the temperatures of the coffee to 130ºF would decrease the risks of burns, like those suffered by Ms. Liebeck. Ms. Liebeck’s attorney, plaintiff’s lawyer Reed Morgan, argued that “McDonald’s Corp sold its coffee at 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit by corporate specification. McDonald’s coffee, spilled, could cause full-thickness burns (third degree to the muscle/fatty tissue layer) in 2 to 7 seconds.” The jury awarded Ms. Liebeck $2.86 million. The trial judge promptly decreased the amount of payment to a total of $640,000. In December 1994, the parties settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

Why Products Liability Cases are Important

As a result of the large award and people’s belief that all of the negligence lies with Ms. Liebeck, the McDonald’s coffee case became a running joke. The “Stella” awards are handed out each year online by people who find supposedly frivolous lawsuits and mock the legal system. Sometimes, their mockery has merit. Often, it does not. Without the legal system and products liability cases, Ford would still be selling defective Pintos and Samsung would still be selling exploding washing machines. The legal system works to make sure that products are safe for use.

The attorneys at Kennedy, Kennedy, Robbins & Yarbro, LC, handle products liability claims. We are aware of many of the difficulties involved with pursuing such claims. Our attorneys carefully examine potential claims to make sure they are appropriate to pursue.  Contact us or call us at (573)686-2459. We are here for you when you need us.