If I cut myself at Red Lobster, does it really make a difference if the knife was a Ginsu, or some cheap shit, you can buy at Walmart. Knives are supposed to sharp, and Coffee is supposed to be hot. The old lady should have been more prudent.
I'm liberal, but I must say....Coffee is supposed to be hot. This lady is really dumb, and so is whoever gave the lady all this money. These are the type of lawsuits that are referenced against individuals with more legitimate claims. At best they should have paid for her medical expenses.
and i know that the coffee was more hotter that whats supposed to be, but who is the sain person who puts a fresh cup of hot coffe between her legs!? most people seem to forget this and just attack the big company. there was negligance of both parts, period.
@dpenela Exactly, The corporation does not have anything to gain financially in making excessively hot coffee. The corporation did not use cheap containers , where the coffee bleed through, and injured Liebeck. An employee of the corporation did not throw the coffee on Liebeck's lap. There is really nothing, except that the coffee was hot. Even the dumbest jury should have paid no more than her medical expenses. This type of lawsuit is what hurts customer's with legitimate claims.
i really liked the documentary, but i just have to say, if i buy a hot coffee i surelly not gonna put it in the middle of my legs! its macdonalds fault that she decided to hold the cup with her ties? serisouly, i dont get it. if i buy a razor and cut myslef with it i'm not gonna blame the company who made to sharp!
Once again this shows how the lazy ass ignorant media works hand in hand with these scummy corporations like McDonalds. For the executives at McDonalds; go to fucking hell you greedy shitheads.
It is amazing how many imbeciles come here to rant and advocate for McDonalds. I bet none of you a-holes bothered to check what happened to that poor woman and many others. Pathetic fools!
I feel like nearly everyone who clicked this link just clicked it to rant about sueing over hot coffee. Did any of you even watch the video? Did you all just miss the "third-degree burns" or the "coffee was too hot for the container" part? Or even that the court found her partially liable? I think it's reasonable that if the container cannot contain the coffee, then the company should either decrease the temperature or change the container. And not think that 700+ burns are an acceptable risk.
Everyone knows coffee is hot. People complain all the time that restaurant coffee is too cold upon delivery of the beverage ( I've worked in restaurants). Obviously McDonald's intent is to have the best, hottest, coffee around. When people buy coffee, they ought to know that it will hurt and cause injury if it is spilled on their body. Once again, common sense has been neglected, and successful businesses are the scapegoats of such incidents. It is truly unfortunate.
Most of the comments here illustrate just why this movie needs to be seen. McDonalds was keeping their coffee up to 70 degrees hotter than the coffee you brew at home. At the time of this lawsuit, they'd already received hundreds of reports of scaldings, and yet still required their franchises to keep the coffee at near-boiling. Look for photos of Mrs. Liebeck's 3rd degree burns - burns that required skin grafts and weeks in intensive care - and then decide if this was a frivolous lawsuit.
(In the end, she did not receive 2 million. She received just enough to cover her medical expenses.) McDonalds knowingly injured their customers, got away with a hand-slap, then turned the story around to paint their billion-dollar selves as victims.
I was thinking I was going to be coming to a video post to do heavy debate with a bunch of morons that were sue happy.. Never in my life did I think I would see all of these posts from people who actually do have commonsense.. This is wonderful to see.. Of course she is responsible.. Coffee is hot, you do not put coffee in between your legs.. I have gotten coffee from McDonalds before IN STYROFOAM!! It didn't melt, and I didn't drink it right away nor put it in between my legs. Why? I'm not 6!
@SuperGuitarman69 - I'm just glad that she did not pout the hot coffee directly into her eyes and then ram her head against the pavement - imagine how much McDonalds would owe her heirs then!
Typical social immorality. People always manage to somehow victimize the sufferer and demonize wealthy people or groups as being the perpetrator, regardless of who actually was responsible. It is completely unambiguous that she was 100% liable for her injury, which was self inflicted due to incompetence. She made a mistake, she should live with the consequences, and not try to steal money from others by blaming them. Coffee is hot, hot liquids burn. Tort law is obviously completely broken.
Could you imagine some guy trying to do this in Mexico, or maybe India, - even Russia. Americans have become so lazy, and all I hear now is, "It's not my fault! It's your fault!" The woman put hot coffee between her legs. They really iterated how that Ford didn't have cup holders! Uh oh! Better sue Ford Motor too!
Ok ok ok. So the cup collapsed upon itself or whatever because the coffee was so hot. Alright I can understand that. A cup failing to hold a hot liquid and burning you, a cup provided by a company, is surely something to sue over.
THAT BEING SAID, why is it that noone else in the country had this happen to them? Why is it that she is the only want that was burned so badly?
Simple answer? She fucking lied, spilled it on herself, and covered it up with something "believable"
Do people honestly think it's ok to knowingly put 187 degree coffee in styrofoam? If so, what, in your opinion, would constitute a lawsuit-worthy offense?
It wasn't so much that the coffee was too hot, but that the styrofoam cup holding the coffee wasn't adquate enough to hold liquids at such temperature that the coffee was.
Tort law is one of the most democratically protecting forces in the United States. Tort reform reduces everyone's right to legal protection. There are many steps a tort CLAIM must go through to finally be ruled on by either a judge or jury. US law values the individual's safety over the business's bottom line. Tort law is meant for the protection of the individual (you and I) from the actions of legally protected corporate entities. Tort law forces businesses to recognize consumer's safety.
@TheJansport1 - The public should recognize that certain activities - e.g. sex, giving birth, driving cars, drinking hot coffee, have inherent risks that occasionally don't play out well for everyone. Lawyers (generally) do not care what is right or wrong. Lawyers manipulate people into swallowing B/S to enrich themselves. Economic damages are reasonable. But punitive damages must be limited. I am tired of American companies being extorted until they collapse or are driven away.
got a new perspective of it and i think that mcdonalds can afford to pay for the doctors fees and nice little chunk after not huge but enough for the trouble
@moltacfirewind1 Fuck McDonalds. They served scalding hot coffee to people in a flimsy cup that causes 3rd degree burns. They new the cup could melt and they already burned 700 people but they kept doing it anyway.
Speaking as someone that put a cup of hot coffee in his lap and it spilled: I thanked the lord it went forward instead of back. Second degree burns on my leg, and you know what...
It was completely my fault! I did something dumb. So did she. Hot coffee will burn you if you spill it on yourself. Don't do it. Ever.
3rd degree on 16% of her body?????? BULLSHIT, not with a ½ liter coffee. she should sew her grandson for buying a crappy, low equipped car and for giving her the coffee
What the hell!!!!!???? How can you possibly sue for this!!!!!! If you spill your coffee it's your fucking fault!!!! Also, styrofoam obviously doesn't melt at that temperature or it would melt in the fucking hands of the server!!!! It was the womans fault, did it fuck just collapse in her hands.
She didn't spill the coffee. The coffee was hot enough to cause THIRD DEGREE BURNS that required skin grafts. Think styrofoam can hold at that temperature for long? Maybe it won't break up right away but thats not going to hold long. The court found McD was reckless with its coffee temperature. McDonalds has spent a lot of money on PR campaigns making sure you think it was the woman's fault. Good boy.
@loner1878 The melting point of styrofoam is around 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Was the coffee this hot??? NOOOOOOO!!!!!! Retard. If it wasn't the women's fault, who else was to blame. That's like saying, I'm going to sue a kitchen appliance company because I put my hand in the oven and it was too hot.
@loner1878 Oh, and what do you mean, she didn't spill the coffee. How the fuck else did it get from inside the cup, to on her fucking lap. YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE FUCKING TOOL!!!!
@loner1878 MAYBE YOU SHOULD LEARN TO FUCKING READ, as I mentioned earlier, the temperature of the coffee was not nearly high enough to melt the styrofoam, so how could it possibly of just collapsed.
Don't be a flagrant hypocrite. And as I wrote earlier (maybe you need to learn to read), it was hot enough to cause THIRD DEGREE BURNS requiring skin grafts.
In the lawsuit, it was revealed that other documents obtained from McDonald's showed that from 1982 to 1992 the company had received more than 700 reports of people burned by McDonald's coffee to varying degrees of severity, and had settled claims arising from scalding injuries for more than $500,000.
This is stupid because if you know anything about the natural aging process the elderly skin is not as protective and thinner than when you are younger, duh idiots. Secondly, they have to keep the coffee held at 187 degrees to prevent bacteria from growing in it, not to keep a longer shelf life. Educate yourself, do your research. Your exactly what's wrong with this country.
We voted for Tort Reform, based on the so called frivolous lawsuits that were out of control in TX. We did not realize the truth of Tort Reform being about the $ for Corp and Politicians, until we witnessed the death of our father by incompetent staff at a "skilled" nursing center. We live the reality of tort as the facility is able to lie and say it never happened, even though 6 people watched in horror. Tort reform equals unaccountability for the corps, and death to our most vulneralbe!
I can not believe that some people are calling this woman stupid! Where is your compassion? What if is was you mother? Yeah I bet that changes that, huh? I do not blame Mc Donalds, but they should have considered covering the medical expense as a result. What would they loose anyhow, that coorperation makes millions of dollars in revenue per day!
Stella Liebeck suffered third-degree burns on six percent of her skin and lesser burns over sixteen percent NOT third-degree burns over sixteen percent!
@WolfAttackFromSpace your coffee pot at home makes 200 degree coffee? Only commercial units do that. Say it, then think about it...com-mer-cial...as in lets squeeze every last dime we can and still mark it up 500% If what you say were carried through then for the sake of "food safety" the internal temp of a piece of beef would need to 200 degrees. 160 is plenty warm enough to kill bacteria. Big difference in the injury those 40 degrees will cause. It is not negligence when outside the norm.
Why couldnt she just wait until she got home to open the coffee? If it was that hot she had to have felt it through the cup. If you feel that kind of heat dont F around with it between your legs!!! Moronic. Cant believe they are making this documentary to show everyone how wrong they have it. All it does is prove to me that people are stupid and when they do stupid things they want everyone else to pay for it.
McDonalds was wrong in how they handled the case. BUT, the family WAS "greedy" for taking more than a million more than what they ( self admittedly) were "more than happy" with.This was also "WRONG". What would have been TRULY "just" was for McDonalds to have to pay REASONABLE damages for each of the 700 cases filed prior. Say " Pay all the medical bills of the 701cases, and then pay...say 10 to 50K for pain, suffering ( for physical mutilation/ scars ) caused by the spills.
@XxGreymoonxX Exactly and , to be 100% "moral", they should have stuck with that figure PLUS what it cost to fight it further in court and all court related expenses. If I sue a neighbor because his dog bit me and the med expenses were $300.00 and he refused then I should then take him to court and ask for $300,000.00? No, I would then ask for the 300 plus all court and attorney related expenses and let karma take care of the neighbor's assholish ways. That's IFFF I wanted to be 100% "moral" ;o)
The USDA says to cook pork to 145deg... PORK! The meat that we are all told to cook the hell out of because of food born illnesses... A 190deg cup of coffee? wow... Imagine how many burns that caused just sipping on it and not spilling it...
Fuck this. That old bitch spilled it on herself because she was an idiot. Coffee is suppose to be hot. If coffee is served cold, then ppl will bitch and sue for coffee not being hot enough. Its lose-lose for McDonalds. This is stupid and silly. Fuck her for spilling it on herself. Thats not McDonalds problem.
They even offered 800 dollars to cover her expenses, imo - they didnt even have to do that!
@BassAle999 Well people don't have to bash her for doing this maybe offer her some sympathy for spilling the coffee. I don't see why so many people whine about this. It's not the greatest injustice in the world if it's an injustice. There's murder,rape, sexual abuse, thievery, and forced education. Now that's injustice. People just love to bash people for being immature when they themselves aren't mature. What hypocrites.
@Cacowninja I'm not bashing her for spilling coffee on herself. I'm bashing her because she blamed a corporation for her own idiot actions and wanted them to pay for it. That's like me slipping on a wet sidewalk, and me suing the city for millions of dollars because the sidewalk should be for walking.
@BassAle999 I'm not sure what I think about this case, but I feel that if you are bashing her because of her "idiot actions" then you ARE bashing her for spilling coffee. She's not an idiot for spilling something; people spill coffee/milk/juice every day. people eat/drink in their car every day. if the coffee had not given her 3rd/2nd degree burns, she would have said nothing of it; but if the coffee were so incredibly hot that it could harm her that way, i feel the company has some responbility
@dainagolden bullshit. The company didn't tip that cup. The company didn't tell her to put it between her knees and open it (obviously incompetently done).
You'd be one of the fuckers who throw a can on the floor in a supermarket, then lay on the floor and say you slipped on it, holding your back/neck/shoulder and screaming for millions.
@USAon3 please, I have no intention of getting into arguments with people i don't know... i don't like getting into arguments with people i DO know! I was just trying to see the case from both sides. people have valid points on both ends of the argument, i know that. but perhaps we as the public don't have enough information to make a confident decision. that's all i'm trying to say, i'm not saying anyone's right or wrong.
@USAon3 please, I have no intention of getting into arguments with people i don't know... i don't like getting into arguments with people i DO know! I was just trying to see the case from both sides. people have valid points on both ends of the argument, i know that. but perhaps we as the public don't have enough information to make a confident decision. that's all i'm trying to say, i'm not saying anyone's right or wrong.
@USAon3 Sounds like you've gobbled up McDonald's corporate PR campiagn like a good obidient little boy. They've spent a lot of money making sure you think that.
McDonalds should not even be allowed to exist. They sell poison worse than any tobacco company, target kids, and they never admit fault when their employees or customers are injured. McDonalds food I'm sure contributed to cancer, diabetes,and definately contributes to diarreah!
Sure its her fault completely that she cant use two hands to open a scalding cup of coffee, but its McDonalds greedy, money-grubbing way of going about this that justified this lawsuit. Im sure they recovered the very next day after having to let go of TWO days of coffee sales.
@luvyatubers "Styrofoam will melt at that temperature". Nobody said it -did- melt, though. Also it doesn't take much googling to discover that styrofoam does not actually melt anywhere near that temperature.
The answer still isn't to put a warning on every coffee cup that it holds hot liquid. That much is incredibly obvious, and it's a ridiculous response to what happened here regardless of who is at fault.
@Droqen It's a yes or no answer. This is a science project. If the cup melted it could have also melted in the McD employees hand, the drivers or the passengers. I agree with everyone saying placing the cup between the knees is not smart. But if the cup was steady balanced and melted, that's a fair lawsuit.
They are both at fault period. Somebody as old as that woman was has looser, more frail skin than a young adult. Even if the coffee was at 150 degrees F she still would have done a lot of damage to herself. Then the family would have sued McDnlds because their cups were not strong enough to handle the drink. In reality coffee does start cooling off the moment that it hits the air. That coffee was probably already cooled to at least 150 degrees which is acceptable. $50,000 was more than enogh $.
@WolfAttackFromSpace What do you mea NOW, its two years in the hospital? Do you mean then it was two years in the hospital? She was in the hospital for two years,but now , she is out ? Do you have trouble forming sentences in English or are you trying to imply that somehow the story has changed? If that is the case then you clinging to the version of the story you heard on Leno is simply moronic. You had no idea what you are talking about and NOW, you look like an idiot.
@WolfAttackFromSpace So , after considering these factors, the jury decided she was 20% at fault for spilling the coffee and McDonalds was 80% at fault for knowingly keeping the coffee too hot and continuing to let people be injured. They awarded 2 average days coffee sales to the woman , who spent 2 years in the hospital and recieved 4 surgeries. The difference between coffee at say 155 and 190 is the difference between a 2nd or 3rd degree burn. She nearly died from the injury .
@WolfAttackFromSpace She wasn't driving , she was a passenger in a parked car . The fact she was wearing sweat pants is what caused the 3rd degree burn. Also McDonald heated their coffe to 200f , which is 45 degrees hotter than the recommended brewing temp. The company they bought coffee from issued a strong warning not to ever keep coffee above 160 degrees. McDonlads had 70 previous 3rd degree burn cases and they did not change their policy .
I'm so pissed watching this. People take responsibility for YOUR OWN STUPIDITY! Don't blame others cuz u r clumsy! Who puts a stupid cup between their legs while riding in a car! BUY DAMN CUPHOLDERS!! and these people have nerve to sit here and blame McDonalds for their stupid mom! NERVE OF THESE PEOPLE! I bring my water TO A BOIL TO MAKE COFFEE! It's HOT WATER! I hope your stupid old lady mother is rotting in hell... Stupid effing self righteous greedy people. FRIVOLOUS IS RIGHT!! KLUTZ!
OK, this is what I heard from the attorney institute that actually there is another lawsuit going on, similar case . And yes, the quality of the cup is the proof itself. From paper cup manufacturer's professional explanation, whether the material is paper or plastic, it does change shape or softens under high temperature. You can also observe that the lid is the only thing holding the cup in shape. Therefore there's a tendency that the cup could collapse when holding it.
The world is not perfect. 1out of a million people may not know how to hold a cup. & also 1 out of million batches of cups may be more fragile than the others. I'm not here to say whose's right or wrong. Let the judge decide. But if the same case happen to your family, what would you do? The first thing that Mcdonalds should do is to apologize. Most of the time, customers just require an apology or just some responsibility. The feedback by denial and avoidance can really piss you off.
The fact is corporations are manipulating public opinion. The women , Liebeck, spent 2 years in the hospital from her 3rd degree burns! It was almost fatal. She deserved more money than she got . McDonalds admitted their coffee had given 3rd degree burns to 700 people.
Whenever a judge overturns the ruling of a jury trial, which the judge in this case did by drastically reducing the size of McDonald's punitive damages, then that judge is what is referred to as an "activist judge." It is a prime example of the fact that the vast majority of "activist judges" are, contrary to popular belief, not of a Liberal bias at all. So, before you jump on this "anti-lawsuit" bandwagon, remember, you could be the next person screwed by a Conservative "Activist Judge!"
A young women working at Haliburton was lied to about housing and was placed with Male Haliburton workers instead of a women's housing. She was harrassed sexually and she reported her concerns to Halibuton authorities. They told her to get over it and go back to work. She was drugged and gang raped. Haliburton did nothing and due to tort reform she was not allowed to go to court. Al Franken and others have worked to get her in court against Haliburton this June. Four years after the rape.
Point is, corporations are about profit and if the penalty for negligence is less than the cost of acting responsibly...they will choose the least expensive alternative, just like irresponsible private citizens. There is NO need for coffee to be 190 degrees for food safety reasons. Your food does need to reach that internal temp. It's about the fact that at that temp, they can brew more gallons per pound of coffee...so, all comes back to greed again.
@MrPhantomZephyr If a McDonalds employee spilled the coffee then maybe I can see cause. But when YOU make a decision to remove the top, knowing how hot it is since YOU had to feel the cup. Then YOU spill it on YOURself. Thats like saying some one deserves money from Smith & Wesson because they shot themself. Ive never been hurt by McDonalds coffee even as a little kid. She didnt know the coffee would be hot boo-hoo just more lazy ass people looking for hand-outs.
are we still talking about this?! why?! you want critical thinking?! (actually, I know that you don't, troll) let me give you a clue, we are commenting on a video, one that if listened to in it's entirety will reveal certain facts, whether or not they are accurate, we are commenting on them, in the comments section of the video, here in this box, the one that says 'comments',
"searched for a lawyer who had already had a case against McDonald's" ...nuff said...frivolous...maybe they should sue the grandson for handing grandma the coffee and not mixing it for her...no wait...his pockets aren't deep enough
@bronco98765 That factor, seeking someone with experience, is totally irrelevant to whether or not the matter is irrelevant. You are not very good an critical thinking and analysis.
@955472 how is it irrelevant? by the same thinking one could say that "you are not very good at (not 'an' - I know it's just a typo but we are using straw man arguments here) critical thinking and analysis", one comment on one video and you say that I am not an adequate critical thinker, well, my 'inadequate' critical thinking tells me that you are a vacuous follower of modern nanny state thinking that says that the public is entitled to all moneys earned and/or gathered by corporate entities
@955472 one might think that you are an inadequate thinker (i.e. intellectually challenged) since you have renamed "the factor" in question (more straw man) as "seeking someone with experience" when my first comment was clearly that the fact that the lawyer this family used had frivolous hot-coffee cases that he had already filed against the same company was an indicator that this case was also frivolous, all factors in the discussion that one would expect to go without saying
@955472 no matter the physical trauma it may have caused the plaintiff, is purely frivolous in nature, for the express purpose of extorting money from a company that is not responsible for the burns suffered by a poor unfortunate elderly woman who was handed a scalding hot cup of coffee by her careless grandson who had just been handed the drink by a careful counter worker, one conclusion that I can accurately come to, however, is that your reply to my comment is not critical at all, but slanted
@bronco98765 If we apply your theory to railings at ledges, no company would ever be liable for failing to utilize them because people should watch where they are going It has been the legal standard for a long long time that, where a business knows people will be hurt by its conduct and it can take reasonable steps to prevent it, it is liable. It did that after it lost the case and now no one has been hospitalized since and it still makes great profit. It isn't frivolous. Don't be so clueless.
@955472 how do you know that noone has been hospitalized for spilling hot coffee on themselves at McDonald's? I think the very idea that noone has accidentally spilled hot coffee on themselves since McDonald's put larger caution printing on coffee cups is just as stupid as you are. Of course they have. Did you know that this same suit was brought against McDonald's in other countries, but was laughed out of court, even with severe burn injuries? In order to make coffee or tea correctly...
@bronco98765 you have to get water to above 190 degrees, preferrably 200 degrees, any liquid above 175 or so degrees will burn any person if it is poured on skin and left there, get it? thought you wouldn't...it's not like the rules that building contractors have to follow at all (straw man again?!) it is a food product that absolutely, like all food products that are cooked and served, must be heated to a temperature hot enough to actually cook the food, so the consumer can actually safely...
@bronco98765 eat the food and not get sick, it goes without saying that the food will be hot if handed out in a take-out window, not to mention the warning that was already on the cup when her GRANDSON handed it to her and then sat by and watched his poor feeble grandma wrestle with the cup and then pour it on herself and not attemp to help her, stupid is as stupid does, I suppose you think that all food should be lukewarm or colder when served,
@bronco98765 anybody that's eaten from a mcdonalds drive-thru window knows there is no risk of getting burned from the fries or burgers. lol. too bad their food isnt served hot.
@bronco98765 "how do you know that no one has been hospitalized for spilling hot coffee on themselves at McDonald's?" Because McDonald's itself said so.
Also comparing two cases as having the very same fact pattern reveals your grave ignorance. Also the warning issue is a direct result of the lawsuit. You're not vary good at critical thinking or even basic facts.
@955472 the video says that the warning was already there and that the court deemed that it should be bigger, check your OWN facts, stupid....furthermore, ALL cases in court are compared to other cases both foreign and domestic to establish a thing called 'precedent'...I can only assume you are unfamiliar with this idea, in all your genius, I would have thought you would know that...the comments we are making are based on the video, listen to and watch the VIDEO before you comment please, stupid
@bronco98765 especially for a superior critical thinker like yourself, but then, since my opinions and thoughts (and I do have them) are based solely on one seemingly vacuous comment I might be entirely mistaken, since I would have only the one comment to go on, hardly enough on which to base an opinion, leaving it not really an opinion at all, but just a series of random rambling thoughts, hence, your reply to my comment, any critical thinker can see that this case...
Is she really wearing a fur? I wonder what they spent the money on...hmmm. If someone breaks an arm in my house and it is their fault, I would not expect the insurance to pay it.. Why are people so dumb. Should McD, use ceramic cups? I am sorry, but how many people at this time ended up in the hospital because of coffee burns from Mcds. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their own stupid actions.
Tort reform threw the baby out with the bath water, in the name of creating jobs and protecting corporations from frivolous suits. How many jobs are worth the life of YOUR loved one. Tort is all about the money...for the corporations, who no longer fear accountability, and the politicians they fund. The casualties...our seniors, our young, and our poor. Signature Pointe on the Lake...We witnessed what happened. Your actions killed dad. TX Tort is allowing you to get away with it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Humans have this thing called a brain. If you don't use it to identify possible hazards and dangers, that is your choice. Nobody forced you to be stupid.
The cup of coffee was not intentionally booby-trapped to explode and burn this woman. There was no malice or negligence here.
Maybe the car manufacturer should be sued for not providing cup-holders in the car? Lets' see, who else can we blame?
Lawyers - one of the three BLeeP's, the parasites of our society. Bankers, Lawyers, and Politicians.
Next time I walk down the sidewalk and trip over my shoelaces, and scrape my elbow, I'm going to sue the manufacturer of the shoelaces, the shoe company, the contractor who poured the concrete, the city who hired the contractor, and the poor 12 year old in China who made the shoes..."Owned"? Bite me.
@TheMercilessEye I'll put the cement company on the list also. And the gravel company that provided the gravel to the cement company. And the mining company that provided the limestone... I just got coffee at Caribou Coffee. It was hot. Got coffee at Berger King last week one day. It was hot also, and knew not to put it between my legs... My 92 year old grandma got coffee at McDonalds last week. She recognized the hazards and knew not to put it between her legs.
@TheMercilessEye "Don't forget to sue the cement company that provided the concrete for the sidewalk...moron. Owned. Go bite yourself. :P"
Since your comment has nothing to do with anything and the factors discussed in the piece do, the only thin you 'own' is poor analytical skills. Translation in to your language: You are dumb.
@jknengr796 Okay, fine. McDonald's serves iced coffee. The "Hot Coffee Incident" involving Stella Liebeck, took place on February 27, 1992, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The average temperature in Albuquerque for that month was 42.3 degrees fahrenheit. Now, you tell me, WHO orders an iced coffee when the temperatures are averaging only ten degrees above freezing? Nobody, that's who. Which makes you, effectively, a moron for making the suggestion. Owned.
@TheMercilessEye I would think someone 79 years old would have drank enough coffee in her life to know coffee is often hot.... You are the fucking moron.
@jknengr796 Generally, people of that particular age bracket don't have a lot of experience with fast-food coffee of ANY sort - they're more acquainted with 'sit-down' style restaurants, where the coffee served is generally hot, yes, but cools rapidly since it's usually kept in a coffee pot, on a warmer. McDonalds instead pipes the coffee directly from the brewing machine into a thermal-insultated cup, with a lid, to keep it scalding hot. (continued)
@jknengr796 Anybody who's ever had McDonald's coffee knows this - their coffee is usually scalding hot and FAR too hot to drink when you're first handed the insulated and lidded cup - but a near Octogenarian wouldn't necessarily be all that familiar with this. Regardless, plenty of others have always thought that McDonald's coffee is FAR too hot when first served. Plus, it gave her THIRD DEGREE BURNS, which required SKIN GRAFTS to repair. (continued)
@jknengr796 If you took the time to STUDY the case, you'd learn that, initially, Mrs. Liebeck only wanted to settle for the costs of her medical treatment caused by the burns - which came to only around $20 K. McDonalds opted to turn down the settlement, which resulted in Mrs. Liebeck retaining an attorney to sue the company - and rightly so. McDonalds was incredibly stupid in their handling of this, and YOU are STILL...a moron. Owned.
McDonald's; sociopaths? Well, then if corporations are "people", then they must be held liable for injuries to their customers. Up to and including prison time for the CEO, members of the board and anyone involved in the incident; as well as monetary recompenses. Is this a nation of laws? Or just when it behooves corporate interests?
If I cut myself at Red Lobster, does it really make a difference if the knife was a Ginsu, or some cheap shit, you can buy at Walmart. Knives are supposed to sharp, and Coffee is supposed to be hot. The old lady should have been more prudent.
zadeh79 1 week ago
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zadeh79 1 week ago
I'm liberal, but I must say....Coffee is supposed to be hot. This lady is really dumb, and so is whoever gave the lady all this money. These are the type of lawsuits that are referenced against individuals with more legitimate claims. At best they should have paid for her medical expenses.
zadeh79 1 week ago
and i know that the coffee was more hotter that whats supposed to be, but who is the sain person who puts a fresh cup of hot coffe between her legs!? most people seem to forget this and just attack the big company. there was negligance of both parts, period.
dpenela 1 week ago
@dpenela Exactly, The corporation does not have anything to gain financially in making excessively hot coffee. The corporation did not use cheap containers , where the coffee bleed through, and injured Liebeck. An employee of the corporation did not throw the coffee on Liebeck's lap. There is really nothing, except that the coffee was hot. Even the dumbest jury should have paid no more than her medical expenses. This type of lawsuit is what hurts customer's with legitimate claims.
zadeh79 1 week ago
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i really liked the documentary, but i just have to say, if i buy a hot coffee i surelly not gonna put it in the middle of my legs! its macdonalds fault that she decided to hold the cup with her ties? serisouly, i dont get it. if i buy a razor and cut myslef with it i'm not gonna blame the company who made to sharp!
dpenela 1 week ago
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irliving 1 week ago
Once again this shows how the lazy ass ignorant media works hand in hand with these scummy corporations like McDonalds. For the executives at McDonalds; go to fucking hell you greedy shitheads.
ridewave444 1 week ago
It is amazing how many imbeciles come here to rant and advocate for McDonalds. I bet none of you a-holes bothered to check what happened to that poor woman and many others. Pathetic fools!
noraalex 2 weeks ago
I feel like nearly everyone who clicked this link just clicked it to rant about sueing over hot coffee. Did any of you even watch the video? Did you all just miss the "third-degree burns" or the "coffee was too hot for the container" part? Or even that the court found her partially liable? I think it's reasonable that if the container cannot contain the coffee, then the company should either decrease the temperature or change the container. And not think that 700+ burns are an acceptable risk.
smaknp1 2 weeks ago 2
Everyone knows coffee is hot. People complain all the time that restaurant coffee is too cold upon delivery of the beverage ( I've worked in restaurants). Obviously McDonald's intent is to have the best, hottest, coffee around. When people buy coffee, they ought to know that it will hurt and cause injury if it is spilled on their body. Once again, common sense has been neglected, and successful businesses are the scapegoats of such incidents. It is truly unfortunate.
JHPalin 4 weeks ago
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JerseyBiscuit 1 month ago
Most of the comments here illustrate just why this movie needs to be seen. McDonalds was keeping their coffee up to 70 degrees hotter than the coffee you brew at home. At the time of this lawsuit, they'd already received hundreds of reports of scaldings, and yet still required their franchises to keep the coffee at near-boiling. Look for photos of Mrs. Liebeck's 3rd degree burns - burns that required skin grafts and weeks in intensive care - and then decide if this was a frivolous lawsuit.
JerseyBiscuit 1 month ago
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(In the end, she did not receive 2 million. She received just enough to cover her medical expenses.) McDonalds knowingly injured their customers, got away with a hand-slap, then turned the story around to paint their billion-dollar selves as victims.
JerseyBiscuit 1 month ago
This is fucking ridiculous! stupid old bitch spilled coffee on herself and sues for her stupidity. Really?
DR3AM3R91 1 month ago
@DR3AM3R91 Watch. The. Movie.
JerseyBiscuit 1 month ago
nice fur around your neck old bitch
brief333 1 month ago
I was thinking I was going to be coming to a video post to do heavy debate with a bunch of morons that were sue happy.. Never in my life did I think I would see all of these posts from people who actually do have commonsense.. This is wonderful to see.. Of course she is responsible.. Coffee is hot, you do not put coffee in between your legs.. I have gotten coffee from McDonalds before IN STYROFOAM!! It didn't melt, and I didn't drink it right away nor put it in between my legs. Why? I'm not 6!
SuperGuitarman69 2 months ago
@SuperGuitarman69 - I'm just glad that she did not pout the hot coffee directly into her eyes and then ram her head against the pavement - imagine how much McDonalds would owe her heirs then!
lacedemonians 1 month ago
Typical social immorality. People always manage to somehow victimize the sufferer and demonize wealthy people or groups as being the perpetrator, regardless of who actually was responsible. It is completely unambiguous that she was 100% liable for her injury, which was self inflicted due to incompetence. She made a mistake, she should live with the consequences, and not try to steal money from others by blaming them. Coffee is hot, hot liquids burn. Tort law is obviously completely broken.
tothemax01 2 months ago
I know this is crazy but DON'T SPILL YOUR COFFEE.
Stoolie33 2 months ago
Could you imagine some guy trying to do this in Mexico, or maybe India, - even Russia. Americans have become so lazy, and all I hear now is, "It's not my fault! It's your fault!" The woman put hot coffee between her legs. They really iterated how that Ford didn't have cup holders! Uh oh! Better sue Ford Motor too!
backyardsounds 2 months ago
Lol this is like Kramer when he burned him self.
3250Warrior 2 months ago
I dropped a dumbbell on my foot and my foot broke. I'll sue the dumbbell manufacturer for making the dumbbell heavy.
Keopro 2 months ago
Ok ok ok. So the cup collapsed upon itself or whatever because the coffee was so hot. Alright I can understand that. A cup failing to hold a hot liquid and burning you, a cup provided by a company, is surely something to sue over.
THAT BEING SAID, why is it that noone else in the country had this happen to them? Why is it that she is the only want that was burned so badly?
Simple answer? She fucking lied, spilled it on herself, and covered it up with something "believable"
Kratos48 2 months ago
This is her fucking problem , she is stupid and she drop it on her self so she don't have the right do sue them
MrMafja 2 months ago
Do people honestly think it's ok to knowingly put 187 degree coffee in styrofoam? If so, what, in your opinion, would constitute a lawsuit-worthy offense?
grumpycheerleader 2 months ago
It wasn't so much that the coffee was too hot, but that the styrofoam cup holding the coffee wasn't adquate enough to hold liquids at such temperature that the coffee was.
MsMinits 3 months ago
McDonalds you bastards,you should start serving cold hot coffee!!
fictivisionDV 3 months ago
Tort law is one of the most democratically protecting forces in the United States. Tort reform reduces everyone's right to legal protection. There are many steps a tort CLAIM must go through to finally be ruled on by either a judge or jury. US law values the individual's safety over the business's bottom line. Tort law is meant for the protection of the individual (you and I) from the actions of legally protected corporate entities. Tort law forces businesses to recognize consumer's safety.
TheJansport1 3 months ago 7
@TheJansport1 - The public should recognize that certain activities - e.g. sex, giving birth, driving cars, drinking hot coffee, have inherent risks that occasionally don't play out well for everyone. Lawyers (generally) do not care what is right or wrong. Lawyers manipulate people into swallowing B/S to enrich themselves. Economic damages are reasonable. But punitive damages must be limited. I am tired of American companies being extorted until they collapse or are driven away.
lacedemonians 1 month ago
got a new perspective of it and i think that mcdonalds can afford to pay for the doctors fees and nice little chunk after not huge but enough for the trouble
ramrodnj 3 months ago
FUCK ALL YALL THAT DUMB BITCH WAS JUST SO STUPID SHE DIDNT EVEN REALIZE THE DAMN COFFEE WAS HOT!!!! SO YALL NEED TO SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!
moltacfirewind1 4 months ago
@moltacfirewind1 Fuck McDonalds. They served scalding hot coffee to people in a flimsy cup that causes 3rd degree burns. They new the cup could melt and they already burned 700 people but they kept doing it anyway.
haymaker710 3 months ago 2
You know what else is funny?- Whenever Mcdonalds' takes legal action against small restaurant owners for using a common prefix!
Forget the coffee woman, fuck Mcdonalds!
leeharveyosmosis 4 months ago
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Fiftiesflashback 4 months ago 6
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Fiftiesflashback 4 months ago 6
Speaking as someone that put a cup of hot coffee in his lap and it spilled: I thanked the lord it went forward instead of back. Second degree burns on my leg, and you know what...
It was completely my fault! I did something dumb. So did she. Hot coffee will burn you if you spill it on yourself. Don't do it. Ever.
dbsommers1 4 months ago
Screw her and her fucking coffee. She needed a brain transplant putting a coffee between her knees.
Tralgit 4 months ago
3rd degree on 16% of her body?????? BULLSHIT, not with a ½ liter coffee. she should sew her grandson for buying a crappy, low equipped car and for giving her the coffee
howarethingsindenver 4 months ago
Send the corrupt republicon judges and politicians to JAIL! Put these corrupt insurance companies and other entities OUT OF BUSINESS!
The poor woman almost DIED! She deserved to get TEN MILLION DOLLARS from the BASTARDS at McDonalds!
tripjet999 4 months ago
What the hell!!!!!???? How can you possibly sue for this!!!!!! If you spill your coffee it's your fucking fault!!!! Also, styrofoam obviously doesn't melt at that temperature or it would melt in the fucking hands of the server!!!! It was the womans fault, did it fuck just collapse in her hands.
bobsterfish 4 months ago
@bobsterfish
She didn't spill the coffee. The coffee was hot enough to cause THIRD DEGREE BURNS that required skin grafts. Think styrofoam can hold at that temperature for long? Maybe it won't break up right away but thats not going to hold long. The court found McD was reckless with its coffee temperature. McDonalds has spent a lot of money on PR campaigns making sure you think it was the woman's fault. Good boy.
loner1878 4 months ago
@loner1878 The melting point of styrofoam is around 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Was the coffee this hot??? NOOOOOOO!!!!!! Retard. If it wasn't the women's fault, who else was to blame. That's like saying, I'm going to sue a kitchen appliance company because I put my hand in the oven and it was too hot.
bobsterfish 4 months ago
@loner1878 Oh, and what do you mean, she didn't spill the coffee. How the fuck else did it get from inside the cup, to on her fucking lap. YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE FUCKING TOOL!!!!
bobsterfish 4 months ago
@bobsterfish
Once again - THE CUP BROKE APART DUE TO THE HEAT.
Learn to read, you fucking idiot.
loner1878 4 months ago
@loner1878 MAYBE YOU SHOULD LEARN TO FUCKING READ, as I mentioned earlier, the temperature of the coffee was not nearly high enough to melt the styrofoam, so how could it possibly of just collapsed.
bobsterfish 4 months ago
@bobsterfish
Don't be a flagrant hypocrite. And as I wrote earlier (maybe you need to learn to read), it was hot enough to cause THIRD DEGREE BURNS requiring skin grafts.
In the lawsuit, it was revealed that other documents obtained from McDonald's showed that from 1982 to 1992 the company had received more than 700 reports of people burned by McDonald's coffee to varying degrees of severity, and had settled claims arising from scalding injuries for more than $500,000.
loner1878 4 months ago
If she can't hold the cup of coffee in between her legs carefully, maybe she shouldn't be drinking "hot coffee" in a car without cup holders.
bgsego 4 months ago
This is stupid because if you know anything about the natural aging process the elderly skin is not as protective and thinner than when you are younger, duh idiots. Secondly, they have to keep the coffee held at 187 degrees to prevent bacteria from growing in it, not to keep a longer shelf life. Educate yourself, do your research. Your exactly what's wrong with this country.
bgsego 4 months ago
We voted for Tort Reform, based on the so called frivolous lawsuits that were out of control in TX. We did not realize the truth of Tort Reform being about the $ for Corp and Politicians, until we witnessed the death of our father by incompetent staff at a "skilled" nursing center. We live the reality of tort as the facility is able to lie and say it never happened, even though 6 people watched in horror. Tort reform equals unaccountability for the corps, and death to our most vulneralbe!
tortvictim 5 months ago
I can not believe that some people are calling this woman stupid! Where is your compassion? What if is was you mother? Yeah I bet that changes that, huh? I do not blame Mc Donalds, but they should have considered covering the medical expense as a result. What would they loose anyhow, that coorperation makes millions of dollars in revenue per day!
passionflower1983 5 months ago
Stella Liebeck suffered third-degree burns on six percent of her skin and lesser burns over sixteen percent NOT third-degree burns over sixteen percent!
TykSakdotnet 5 months ago
@WolfAttackFromSpace your coffee pot at home makes 200 degree coffee? Only commercial units do that. Say it, then think about it...com-mer-cial...as in lets squeeze every last dime we can and still mark it up 500% If what you say were carried through then for the sake of "food safety" the internal temp of a piece of beef would need to 200 degrees. 160 is plenty warm enough to kill bacteria. Big difference in the injury those 40 degrees will cause. It is not negligence when outside the norm.
MrPhantomZephyr 5 months ago
Why couldnt she just wait until she got home to open the coffee? If it was that hot she had to have felt it through the cup. If you feel that kind of heat dont F around with it between your legs!!! Moronic. Cant believe they are making this documentary to show everyone how wrong they have it. All it does is prove to me that people are stupid and when they do stupid things they want everyone else to pay for it.
sharonanne116 5 months ago
Mcdonalds = everything that is wrong with the western world.
TheHowks 6 months ago
McDonalds was wrong in how they handled the case. BUT, the family WAS "greedy" for taking more than a million more than what they ( self admittedly) were "more than happy" with.This was also "WRONG". What would have been TRULY "just" was for McDonalds to have to pay REASONABLE damages for each of the 700 cases filed prior. Say " Pay all the medical bills of the 701cases, and then pay...say 10 to 50K for pain, suffering ( for physical mutilation/ scars ) caused by the spills.
acomposer4U 6 months ago 2
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ynot1688 6 months ago
@acomposer4U they originally asked for enough to pay for the hospital bills, which McDonalds refused
XxGreymoonxX 3 months ago
@XxGreymoonxX Exactly and , to be 100% "moral", they should have stuck with that figure PLUS what it cost to fight it further in court and all court related expenses. If I sue a neighbor because his dog bit me and the med expenses were $300.00 and he refused then I should then take him to court and ask for $300,000.00? No, I would then ask for the 300 plus all court and attorney related expenses and let karma take care of the neighbor's assholish ways. That's IFFF I wanted to be 100% "moral" ;o)
acomposer4U 3 months ago
The USDA says to cook pork to 145deg... PORK! The meat that we are all told to cook the hell out of because of food born illnesses... A 190deg cup of coffee? wow... Imagine how many burns that caused just sipping on it and not spilling it...
wpederson1 6 months ago
Fuck this. That old bitch spilled it on herself because she was an idiot. Coffee is suppose to be hot. If coffee is served cold, then ppl will bitch and sue for coffee not being hot enough. Its lose-lose for McDonalds. This is stupid and silly. Fuck her for spilling it on herself. Thats not McDonalds problem.
They even offered 800 dollars to cover her expenses, imo - they didnt even have to do that!
BassAle999 6 months ago
@BassAle999 Well people don't have to bash her for doing this maybe offer her some sympathy for spilling the coffee. I don't see why so many people whine about this. It's not the greatest injustice in the world if it's an injustice. There's murder,rape, sexual abuse, thievery, and forced education. Now that's injustice. People just love to bash people for being immature when they themselves aren't mature. What hypocrites.
Cacowninja 6 months ago
@Cacowninja I'm not bashing her for spilling coffee on herself. I'm bashing her because she blamed a corporation for her own idiot actions and wanted them to pay for it. That's like me slipping on a wet sidewalk, and me suing the city for millions of dollars because the sidewalk should be for walking.
BassAle999 6 months ago
@BassAle999 I'm not sure what I think about this case, but I feel that if you are bashing her because of her "idiot actions" then you ARE bashing her for spilling coffee. She's not an idiot for spilling something; people spill coffee/milk/juice every day. people eat/drink in their car every day. if the coffee had not given her 3rd/2nd degree burns, she would have said nothing of it; but if the coffee were so incredibly hot that it could harm her that way, i feel the company has some responbility
dainagolden 5 months ago
@dainagolden bullshit. The company didn't tip that cup. The company didn't tell her to put it between her knees and open it (obviously incompetently done).
You'd be one of the fuckers who throw a can on the floor in a supermarket, then lay on the floor and say you slipped on it, holding your back/neck/shoulder and screaming for millions.
USAon3 4 months ago
@USAon3 please, I have no intention of getting into arguments with people i don't know... i don't like getting into arguments with people i DO know! I was just trying to see the case from both sides. people have valid points on both ends of the argument, i know that. but perhaps we as the public don't have enough information to make a confident decision. that's all i'm trying to say, i'm not saying anyone's right or wrong.
dainagolden 4 months ago
@USAon3 please, I have no intention of getting into arguments with people i don't know... i don't like getting into arguments with people i DO know! I was just trying to see the case from both sides. people have valid points on both ends of the argument, i know that. but perhaps we as the public don't have enough information to make a confident decision. that's all i'm trying to say, i'm not saying anyone's right or wrong.
dainagolden 4 months ago
@USAon3 Sounds like you've gobbled up McDonald's corporate PR campiagn like a good obidient little boy. They've spent a lot of money making sure you think that.
loner1878 4 months ago
@BassAle999 Mc Donalds makes 1.9 million dollars a day on coffee alone. I think they couldve given her the 20,000 she origionally asked for!
Heatherhb03 3 months ago 5
McDonalds should not even be allowed to exist. They sell poison worse than any tobacco company, target kids, and they never admit fault when their employees or customers are injured. McDonalds food I'm sure contributed to cancer, diabetes,and definately contributes to diarreah!
MindofaJedi 6 months ago
700 people in 10 years. Millions of cups of coffee sold every single fucking day.
Sounds like a LOT of companies can be sued when idiots injure themselves using their products, then.
bubbah 6 months ago
" But what most people do not know is that Liebeck suffered third-degree burns over 16 percent of her body and never fully recovered."
And how is that McD's fault?
bubbah 6 months ago
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TheMercilessEye 6 months ago
Sure its her fault completely that she cant use two hands to open a scalding cup of coffee, but its McDonalds greedy, money-grubbing way of going about this that justified this lawsuit. Im sure they recovered the very next day after having to let go of TWO days of coffee sales.
CelticPoison 6 months ago
Really the only thing I feel that McDonald's can be considered liable for is the melting of the styrofoam cup.
1337SuperNewb 6 months ago
@1337SuperNewb Does it really melt? If so, one would expect far more burns out there.
bubbah 6 months ago
@ 3:40 did you catch that the styrofoam cup melted?
luvyatubers 6 months ago
@luvyatubers "Styrofoam will melt at that temperature". Nobody said it -did- melt, though. Also it doesn't take much googling to discover that styrofoam does not actually melt anywhere near that temperature.
The answer still isn't to put a warning on every coffee cup that it holds hot liquid. That much is incredibly obvious, and it's a ridiculous response to what happened here regardless of who is at fault.
Droqen 6 months ago
@Droqen It's a yes or no answer. This is a science project. If the cup melted it could have also melted in the McD employees hand, the drivers or the passengers. I agree with everyone saying placing the cup between the knees is not smart. But if the cup was steady balanced and melted, that's a fair lawsuit.
luvyatubers 6 months ago
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@Droqen "Also it doesn't take much googling to discover that styrofoam does not actually melt anywhere near that temperature."
Ah, so the family is lying.
Good to know.
Just like that old lying hag suing McD.
bubbah 6 months ago
They are both at fault period. Somebody as old as that woman was has looser, more frail skin than a young adult. Even if the coffee was at 150 degrees F she still would have done a lot of damage to herself. Then the family would have sued McDnlds because their cups were not strong enough to handle the drink. In reality coffee does start cooling off the moment that it hits the air. That coffee was probably already cooled to at least 150 degrees which is acceptable. $50,000 was more than enogh $.
renovateddestruction 7 months ago
L337 no i mean 13:37
Hazorxz 7 months ago
@WolfAttackFromSpace What do you mea NOW, its two years in the hospital? Do you mean then it was two years in the hospital? She was in the hospital for two years,but now , she is out ? Do you have trouble forming sentences in English or are you trying to imply that somehow the story has changed? If that is the case then you clinging to the version of the story you heard on Leno is simply moronic. You had no idea what you are talking about and NOW, you look like an idiot.
MindofaJedi 7 months ago
@WolfAttackFromSpace So , after considering these factors, the jury decided she was 20% at fault for spilling the coffee and McDonalds was 80% at fault for knowingly keeping the coffee too hot and continuing to let people be injured. They awarded 2 average days coffee sales to the woman , who spent 2 years in the hospital and recieved 4 surgeries. The difference between coffee at say 155 and 190 is the difference between a 2nd or 3rd degree burn. She nearly died from the injury .
MindofaJedi 7 months ago
@WolfAttackFromSpace She wasn't driving , she was a passenger in a parked car . The fact she was wearing sweat pants is what caused the 3rd degree burn. Also McDonald heated their coffe to 200f , which is 45 degrees hotter than the recommended brewing temp. The company they bought coffee from issued a strong warning not to ever keep coffee above 160 degrees. McDonlads had 70 previous 3rd degree burn cases and they did not change their policy .
MindofaJedi 7 months ago
I'm so pissed watching this. People take responsibility for YOUR OWN STUPIDITY! Don't blame others cuz u r clumsy! Who puts a stupid cup between their legs while riding in a car! BUY DAMN CUPHOLDERS!! and these people have nerve to sit here and blame McDonalds for their stupid mom! NERVE OF THESE PEOPLE! I bring my water TO A BOIL TO MAKE COFFEE! It's HOT WATER! I hope your stupid old lady mother is rotting in hell... Stupid effing self righteous greedy people. FRIVOLOUS IS RIGHT!! KLUTZ!
theresi1008 7 months ago
Even the paper cups they are using now often collapse when holding it.
ynot1688 7 months ago
@ynot1688 Proof, please.
bubbah 6 months ago
OK, this is what I heard from the attorney institute that actually there is another lawsuit going on, similar case . And yes, the quality of the cup is the proof itself. From paper cup manufacturer's professional explanation, whether the material is paper or plastic, it does change shape or softens under high temperature. You can also observe that the lid is the only thing holding the cup in shape. Therefore there's a tendency that the cup could collapse when holding it.
ynot1688 6 months ago
@ynot1688 Funny how millions of people are able to drink their coffee without hurting themselves every single day, then.
bubbah 6 months ago
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@bubbah
The world is not perfect. 1out of a million people may not know how to hold a cup. & also 1 out of million batches of cups may be more fragile than the others. I'm not here to say whose's right or wrong. Let the judge decide. But if the same case happen to your family, what would you do? The first thing that Mcdonalds should do is to apologize. Most of the time, customers just require an apology or just some responsibility. The feedback by denial and avoidance can really piss you off.
ynot1688 6 months ago
The fact is corporations are manipulating public opinion. The women , Liebeck, spent 2 years in the hospital from her 3rd degree burns! It was almost fatal. She deserved more money than she got . McDonalds admitted their coffee had given 3rd degree burns to 700 people.
MindofaJedi 7 months ago
@MindofaJedi She shouldn't have spilled coffee on herself, FFS.
bubbah 6 months ago
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You guys probably won't believe me but that Chris Tiano guy is my mom's ex-husband! I swear!
savannah4824 7 months ago
Whenever a judge overturns the ruling of a jury trial, which the judge in this case did by drastically reducing the size of McDonald's punitive damages, then that judge is what is referred to as an "activist judge." It is a prime example of the fact that the vast majority of "activist judges" are, contrary to popular belief, not of a Liberal bias at all. So, before you jump on this "anti-lawsuit" bandwagon, remember, you could be the next person screwed by a Conservative "Activist Judge!"
jazzman67p 7 months ago
A young women working at Haliburton was lied to about housing and was placed with Male Haliburton workers instead of a women's housing. She was harrassed sexually and she reported her concerns to Halibuton authorities. They told her to get over it and go back to work. She was drugged and gang raped. Haliburton did nothing and due to tort reform she was not allowed to go to court. Al Franken and others have worked to get her in court against Haliburton this June. Four years after the rape.
likingpurple 8 months ago 14
Point is, corporations are about profit and if the penalty for negligence is less than the cost of acting responsibly...they will choose the least expensive alternative, just like irresponsible private citizens. There is NO need for coffee to be 190 degrees for food safety reasons. Your food does need to reach that internal temp. It's about the fact that at that temp, they can brew more gallons per pound of coffee...so, all comes back to greed again.
MrPhantomZephyr 8 months ago 8
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UchihaGamer111 7 months ago
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@MrPhantomZephyr If a McDonalds employee spilled the coffee then maybe I can see cause. But when YOU make a decision to remove the top, knowing how hot it is since YOU had to feel the cup. Then YOU spill it on YOURself. Thats like saying some one deserves money from Smith & Wesson because they shot themself. Ive never been hurt by McDonalds coffee even as a little kid. She didnt know the coffee would be hot boo-hoo just more lazy ass people looking for hand-outs.
UchihaGamer111 7 months ago
@MrPhantomZephyr 200% agreed. nicely said =)
attitude8x 7 months ago
are we still talking about this?! why?! you want critical thinking?! (actually, I know that you don't, troll) let me give you a clue, we are commenting on a video, one that if listened to in it's entirety will reveal certain facts, whether or not they are accurate, we are commenting on them, in the comments section of the video, here in this box, the one that says 'comments',
bronco98765 8 months ago
"searched for a lawyer who had already had a case against McDonald's" ...nuff said...frivolous...maybe they should sue the grandson for handing grandma the coffee and not mixing it for her...no wait...his pockets aren't deep enough
bronco98765 9 months ago
@bronco98765 That factor, seeking someone with experience, is totally irrelevant to whether or not the matter is irrelevant. You are not very good an critical thinking and analysis.
955472 9 months ago
@955472 how is it irrelevant? by the same thinking one could say that "you are not very good at (not 'an' - I know it's just a typo but we are using straw man arguments here) critical thinking and analysis", one comment on one video and you say that I am not an adequate critical thinker, well, my 'inadequate' critical thinking tells me that you are a vacuous follower of modern nanny state thinking that says that the public is entitled to all moneys earned and/or gathered by corporate entities
bronco98765 9 months ago
@955472 one might think that you are an inadequate thinker (i.e. intellectually challenged) since you have renamed "the factor" in question (more straw man) as "seeking someone with experience" when my first comment was clearly that the fact that the lawyer this family used had frivolous hot-coffee cases that he had already filed against the same company was an indicator that this case was also frivolous, all factors in the discussion that one would expect to go without saying
bronco98765 9 months ago
@955472 no matter the physical trauma it may have caused the plaintiff, is purely frivolous in nature, for the express purpose of extorting money from a company that is not responsible for the burns suffered by a poor unfortunate elderly woman who was handed a scalding hot cup of coffee by her careless grandson who had just been handed the drink by a careful counter worker, one conclusion that I can accurately come to, however, is that your reply to my comment is not critical at all, but slanted
bronco98765 9 months ago
@bronco98765 If we apply your theory to railings at ledges, no company would ever be liable for failing to utilize them because people should watch where they are going It has been the legal standard for a long long time that, where a business knows people will be hurt by its conduct and it can take reasonable steps to prevent it, it is liable. It did that after it lost the case and now no one has been hospitalized since and it still makes great profit. It isn't frivolous. Don't be so clueless.
955472 9 months ago
@955472 how do you know that noone has been hospitalized for spilling hot coffee on themselves at McDonald's? I think the very idea that noone has accidentally spilled hot coffee on themselves since McDonald's put larger caution printing on coffee cups is just as stupid as you are. Of course they have. Did you know that this same suit was brought against McDonald's in other countries, but was laughed out of court, even with severe burn injuries? In order to make coffee or tea correctly...
bronco98765 9 months ago
@bronco98765 you have to get water to above 190 degrees, preferrably 200 degrees, any liquid above 175 or so degrees will burn any person if it is poured on skin and left there, get it? thought you wouldn't...it's not like the rules that building contractors have to follow at all (straw man again?!) it is a food product that absolutely, like all food products that are cooked and served, must be heated to a temperature hot enough to actually cook the food, so the consumer can actually safely...
bronco98765 9 months ago
@bronco98765 eat the food and not get sick, it goes without saying that the food will be hot if handed out in a take-out window, not to mention the warning that was already on the cup when her GRANDSON handed it to her and then sat by and watched his poor feeble grandma wrestle with the cup and then pour it on herself and not attemp to help her, stupid is as stupid does, I suppose you think that all food should be lukewarm or colder when served,
get your own clue, mine are better than yours
bronco98765 9 months ago
@bronco98765 anybody that's eaten from a mcdonalds drive-thru window knows there is no risk of getting burned from the fries or burgers. lol. too bad their food isnt served hot.
rktech68fl 8 months ago
@bronco98765 "how do you know that no one has been hospitalized for spilling hot coffee on themselves at McDonald's?" Because McDonald's itself said so.
Also comparing two cases as having the very same fact pattern reveals your grave ignorance. Also the warning issue is a direct result of the lawsuit. You're not vary good at critical thinking or even basic facts.
955472 8 months ago
@955472 the video says that the warning was already there and that the court deemed that it should be bigger, check your OWN facts, stupid....furthermore, ALL cases in court are compared to other cases both foreign and domestic to establish a thing called 'precedent'...I can only assume you are unfamiliar with this idea, in all your genius, I would have thought you would know that...the comments we are making are based on the video, listen to and watch the VIDEO before you comment please, stupid
bronco98765 8 months ago
@955472 oh, and by the way, "McDonald's itself said so" may be the stupidest straw man argument in the history of youtube, enough already
bronco98765 8 months ago
@bronco98765 DO you have evidence to the contrary? Yeah, I thought so.
955472 8 months ago
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@bronco98765 Obviously you don't know what a "straw man argument" even is. Even more FAIL on your part.
955472 8 months ago
@bronco98765 especially for a superior critical thinker like yourself, but then, since my opinions and thoughts (and I do have them) are based solely on one seemingly vacuous comment I might be entirely mistaken, since I would have only the one comment to go on, hardly enough on which to base an opinion, leaving it not really an opinion at all, but just a series of random rambling thoughts, hence, your reply to my comment, any critical thinker can see that this case...
bronco98765 9 months ago
welcome to the new world. when you can't get it.. sue it untill you get it. Soudns about fucking right.
Flippbeazz 1 year ago
700 out of a million people are idiots. Seems about right.
notlawd1 1 year ago
Is she really wearing a fur? I wonder what they spent the money on...hmmm. If someone breaks an arm in my house and it is their fault, I would not expect the insurance to pay it.. Why are people so dumb. Should McD, use ceramic cups? I am sorry, but how many people at this time ended up in the hospital because of coffee burns from Mcds. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their own stupid actions.
notlawd1 1 year ago
Tort reform threw the baby out with the bath water, in the name of creating jobs and protecting corporations from frivolous suits. How many jobs are worth the life of YOUR loved one. Tort is all about the money...for the corporations, who no longer fear accountability, and the politicians they fund. The casualties...our seniors, our young, and our poor. Signature Pointe on the Lake...We witnessed what happened. Your actions killed dad. TX Tort is allowing you to get away with it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Putnab7 1 year ago
Humans have this thing called a brain. If you don't use it to identify possible hazards and dangers, that is your choice. Nobody forced you to be stupid.
The cup of coffee was not intentionally booby-trapped to explode and burn this woman. There was no malice or negligence here.
Maybe the car manufacturer should be sued for not providing cup-holders in the car? Lets' see, who else can we blame?
Lawyers - one of the three BLeeP's, the parasites of our society. Bankers, Lawyers, and Politicians.
KDanagger 1 year ago
Next time I walk down the sidewalk and trip over my shoelaces, and scrape my elbow, I'm going to sue the manufacturer of the shoelaces, the shoe company, the contractor who poured the concrete, the city who hired the contractor, and the poor 12 year old in China who made the shoes..."Owned"? Bite me.
Starbucks coffee is hot too.
jknengr796 1 year ago
@jknengr796 Don't forget to sue the cement company that provided the concrete for the sidewalk...moron. Owned. Go bite yourself. :P
TheMercilessEye 1 year ago
@TheMercilessEye I'll put the cement company on the list also. And the gravel company that provided the gravel to the cement company. And the mining company that provided the limestone... I just got coffee at Caribou Coffee. It was hot. Got coffee at Berger King last week one day. It was hot also, and knew not to put it between my legs... My 92 year old grandma got coffee at McDonalds last week. She recognized the hazards and knew not to put it between her legs.
jknengr796 1 year ago
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@TheMercilessEye "Don't forget to sue the cement company that provided the concrete for the sidewalk...moron. Owned. Go bite yourself. :P"
Since your comment has nothing to do with anything and the factors discussed in the piece do, the only thin you 'own' is poor analytical skills. Translation in to your language: You are dumb.
955472 9 months ago
Stupidity is no excuse. It is called PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY! Next time get an iced coffee moron!
jknengr796 1 year ago
@jknengr796 McDonald's doesn't SERVE iced coffee...MORON
TheMercilessEye 1 year ago
@TheMercilessEye Sure does. I've had one.
jknengr796 1 year ago
@jknengr796 Okay, fine. McDonald's serves iced coffee. The "Hot Coffee Incident" involving Stella Liebeck, took place on February 27, 1992, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The average temperature in Albuquerque for that month was 42.3 degrees fahrenheit. Now, you tell me, WHO orders an iced coffee when the temperatures are averaging only ten degrees above freezing? Nobody, that's who. Which makes you, effectively, a moron for making the suggestion. Owned.
TheMercilessEye 1 year ago
@TheMercilessEye Again. Personal responsibility for ones actions. Hot Coffee is Hot.
jknengr796 1 year ago
@jknengr796 The woman was 79 years old, and didn't expect the coffee to SCALD her and give her THIRD DEGREE BURNS. Again, you're a moron. Owned.
TheMercilessEye 1 year ago
@TheMercilessEye I would think someone 79 years old would have drank enough coffee in her life to know coffee is often hot.... You are the fucking moron.
jknengr796 1 year ago
@jknengr796 Generally, people of that particular age bracket don't have a lot of experience with fast-food coffee of ANY sort - they're more acquainted with 'sit-down' style restaurants, where the coffee served is generally hot, yes, but cools rapidly since it's usually kept in a coffee pot, on a warmer. McDonalds instead pipes the coffee directly from the brewing machine into a thermal-insultated cup, with a lid, to keep it scalding hot. (continued)
TheMercilessEye 1 year ago
@jknengr796 Anybody who's ever had McDonald's coffee knows this - their coffee is usually scalding hot and FAR too hot to drink when you're first handed the insulated and lidded cup - but a near Octogenarian wouldn't necessarily be all that familiar with this. Regardless, plenty of others have always thought that McDonald's coffee is FAR too hot when first served. Plus, it gave her THIRD DEGREE BURNS, which required SKIN GRAFTS to repair. (continued)
TheMercilessEye 1 year ago
@jknengr796 If you took the time to STUDY the case, you'd learn that, initially, Mrs. Liebeck only wanted to settle for the costs of her medical treatment caused by the burns - which came to only around $20 K. McDonalds opted to turn down the settlement, which resulted in Mrs. Liebeck retaining an attorney to sue the company - and rightly so. McDonalds was incredibly stupid in their handling of this, and YOU are STILL...a moron. Owned.
TheMercilessEye 1 year ago
@TheMercilessEye Then go somewhere else, moron.
bubbah 6 months ago
@bubbah lol.... the comment is SIX MONTHS OLD...MORON
TheMercilessEye 6 months ago
@TheMercilessEye Welcome to the internet. Your account is still active, moron.
bubbah 6 months ago
@bubbah Ooooh, thanks! NICE PLACE ya got, here!
TheMercilessEye 6 months ago
McDonalds is not what everyone thinks it is. Everything about that chain is evil
Charmer4856 1 year ago
Coffee is hot, people.
joepglass 1 year ago
McDonald's; sociopaths? Well, then if corporations are "people", then they must be held liable for injuries to their customers. Up to and including prison time for the CEO, members of the board and anyone involved in the incident; as well as monetary recompenses. Is this a nation of laws? Or just when it behooves corporate interests?
simichbrau 1 year ago
is it wrong that i want to see the burn?
highway234 1 year ago
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@highway234 I wanna see it too!
Charmer4856 1 year ago
Neat!
yyttroll 1 year ago