Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants - Wikipedia

Toggle the table of contents Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants 11 languages العربية Français Bahasa Indonesia עברית Bahasa Melayu 日本語 Русский Simple English Türkçe Українська 中文 Edit links Article Talk English Read Edit View history Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions Read Edit View history General What links here Related changes Upload file Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Download QR code Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikidata item Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1994 product liability lawsuit .mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}} "Hot coffee case" redirects here. For similar uses, see Hot Coffee (disambiguation) . .mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent;color:inherit}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:-3px}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}} .mw-parser-output .ib-court-case .infobox-image img{background-color:#f8f9fa}.mw-parser-output .ib-court-case .infobox-above{font-style:italic;font-size:125%}.mw-parser-output .ib-court-case .infobox-header{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .ib-court-case .ib-court-case-red-header{background-color:red;color:white;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .ib-court-case .ib-court-case-green-header{background-color:green;color:white;font-weight:bold} Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants Court Second Judicial District Court, Bernalillo County Full case name Stella Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants, P.T.S., Inc. and McDonald's International, Inc. Decided August 18, 1994 Citations 1994 Extra LEXIS 23 ( Bernalillo County , N.M. Dist. Ct. 1994), 1995 WL 360309 ( Bernalillo County , N.M. Dist. Ct. 1994), Court membership Judge sitting Robert H. Scott Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants , also known as the McDonald's coffee case and the hot coffee lawsuit , was a highly publicized 1994 product liability lawsuit in the United States against the restaurant corporation McDonald's . [ 1 ] A jury found McDonald's liable for injuries suffered by a customer who spilled hot coffee on herself, and awarded her in excess of $2.8 million ($5.9 million in 2024). The plaintiff, Stella Liebeck (1912–2004), [ 2 ] a 79-year-old woman, purchased hot coffee from a McDonald's restaurant, accidentally spilled it in her lap, and suffered third-degree burns in her pelvic region. She was hospitalized for eight days while undergoing skin grafting , followed by two years of medical treatment. Liebeck sought to settle with McDonald's for $20,000 to cover her medical expenses. When McDonald's refused, Liebeck's attorney filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico , accusing McDonald's of gross negligence . Liebeck's attorneys argued that, at 180–190 °F (82–88 °C), McDonald's coffee was defective, and more likely to cause serious injury than coffee served at any other establishment. [ 3 ] The jury found that McDonald's was 80 percent responsible for the incident. Liebeck was awarded a net $160,000 [ 4 ] in compensatory damages to cover medical expenses, and $2.7 million (equivalent to $5,700,000 in 2024) in punitive damages . The trial judge reduced the punitive damages to three times the amount of the compensatory damages, totalling $640,000. The parties settled for a confidential amount before an appeal was decided. [ 5 ] The Liebeck case became a flashpoint in the debate in the United States over tort reform . It was cited by some as an example of frivolous litigation ; [ 6 ] ABC News called the case "the poster child of excessive lawsuits", [ 7 ] while the legal scholar Jonathan Turley argued that the claim was "a meaningful and worthy lawsuit". [ 8 ] Ex-attorney Susan Saladoff sees the portrayal in the media as purposeful misrepresentation due to political and corporate influence. [ 9 ] In June 2011, HBO premiered Hot Coffee , a documentary that discussed in depth how the Liebeck case has centered in debates on tort reform. [ 10 ] Burn incident [ edit ] On February 27, 1992, aged 79, Liebeck ordered a 49-cent cup of coffee from the drive-through window of a McDonald's restaurant at 5001 Gibson Boulevard Southeast in Albuquerque, New Mexico . Liebeck was in the passenger's seat of a 1989 Ford Probe , which did not have cup holders. [ 11 ] Her grandson parked so that Liebeck could add cream and sugar to her coffee. [ 12 ] She placed the coffee cup between her knees and pulled the far side of the lid toward her to remove it. [ 13 ] In the process, she spilled the entire cup of coffee on her lap. [ 14 ] Liebeck was wearing cotton sweatpants, which absorbed the coffee and held it against her skin, scalding her thighs, buttocks and groin. [ 15 ] [ 16 ] Liebeck went into shock and was taken to an emergency room at a hospital. She suffered third-degree burns on six percent of her skin and lesser burns over sixteen percent. [ 13 ] [ 16 ] She remained in the hospital for eight days while she underwent skin grafting . [ 17 ] During this period, Liebeck lost 20 pounds (9.1 kg), nearly 20 percent of her body weight, reducing her to 83 pounds (38 kg). [ 18 ] After the hospital stay, Liebeck needed care for three weeks, which was provided by her daughter. [ 19 ] Liebeck suffered permanent disfigurement after the incident and was partially disabled for two years. [ 20 ] [ 21 ] Attempts to settle [ edit ] Liebeck sought to settle with McDonald's for $20,000 to cover her actual and anticipated expenses. Her past medical expenses were $10,500; her anticipated future medical expenses were approximately $2,500; and her daughter's [ 19 ] loss of income was approximately $5,000 for a total of approximately $18,000. [ 22 ] McDonald's offered only $800. [ 23 ] [ 24 ] When McDonald's refused to raise its offer, Liebeck retained the Texas attorney Reed Morgan. Morgan filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico , accusing McDonald's of gross negligence for selling coffee that was "unreasonably dangerous" and "defectively manufactured". Morgan offered to settle for $300,000, and a mediator suggested $225,000 just before trial; McDonald's refused both. [ 15 ] Trial [ edit ] The trial took place from August 8 to 17, 1994, before New Mexico District Court Judge Robert H. Scott. [ 25 ] During the case, Liebeck's attorneys discovered that McDonald's required franchisees to hold coffee at 180–190 °F (82–88 °C). Liebeck's attorneys argued that coffee should never be served hotter than 140 °F (60 °C), and that a number of other establishments served coffee at a substantially lower temperature than McDonald's. The attorneys presented evidence that coffee they had tested all over the city was served at a temperature at least 20 °F (11 °C) lower than McDonald's coffee. They also presented the jury with expert testimony that 190 °F (88 °C) coffee may produce third-degree burns (where skin grafting is necessary) in about three seconds and 180 °F (82 °C) coffee may produce such burns in about 12 to 15 seconds. [ 15 ] Lowering the temperature to 160 °F (71 °C) would increase the time for the coffee to produce such a burn to 20 seconds. Liebeck's attorneys argued that these extra seconds could provide adequate time to remove the coffee from exposed skin, thereby preventing many burns. [ 26 ] McDonald's claimed that the reason for serving such hot coffee in its drive-through windows was that those who purchased the coffee typically were commuters who wanted to drive a distance with the coffee; the high initial temperature would keep the coffee hot during the trip. However, it came to light that McDonald's had carried out research finding that customers intend to consume the coffee immediately while driving. [ 27 ] Another of McDonald's reasons for serving such hot coffee is advice from consultants that high temperatures are necessary in brewing to fully extract the flavor. [ 15 ] Other documents showed that, from 1982 to 1992, McDonald's 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. [ 15 ] McDonald's quality control manager, Christopher Appleton, testified that this number of injuries was insufficient to cause the company to evaluate its practices. He argued that all foods hotter than 130 °F (54 °C) constituted a burn hazard, and that restaurants had more pressing dangers to worry about. The plaintiffs argued that Appleton conceded that McDonald's coffee would burn the mouth and throat if consumed when served. [ 15 ] [ 28 ] Verdict [ edit ] A twelve-person jury reached its verdict on August 18, 1994. [ 25 ] Applying the principles of comparative negligence , the jury found that McDonald's was 80 percent responsible for the incident and Liebeck was 20 percent at fault. Though there was a warning on the coffee cup, the jury decided that the warning was neither large enough nor sufficient. They awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages , which was reduced by 20 percent to $160,000. In addition, they awarded her $2.7 million in punitive damages . According to The New York Times , the jurors arrived at this figure from Morgan's suggestion to penalize McDonald's for two days of coffee revenues, about $1.35 million per day. [ 13 ] [ 15 ] The judge reduced punitive damages to $480,000, [ 29 ] three times the compensatory amount, for a total of $640,000. [ 23 ] The decision was appealed by both McDonald's and Liebeck in December 1994, but the parties settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. [ 3 ] The Albuquerque Journal ran the first story of the verdict, followed by the Associated Press wire, which was picked up by newspapers around the world. [ 30 ] Aftermath [ edit ] The Liebeck case is often cited by proponents of tort reform , who controversially frame the case as frivolous litigation . [ 6 ] [ 31 ] [ 32 ] ABC News called the case "the poster child of excessive lawsuits". [ 7 ] The legal commentator Jonathan Turley called it "a meaningful and worthy lawsuit". [ 8 ] McDonald's asserts that the outcome of the case was a fluke, and attributed the loss to poor communications and strategy by an unfamiliar insurer representing a franchise. Liebeck's attorney, Reed Morgan, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America defended the result in Liebeck by claiming that McDonald's reduced the temperature of its coffee after the suit, although McDonald's in fact had not done so. [ 33 ] Detractors have argued that McDonald's refusal to offer more than an $800 settlement for the $10,500 in medical bills indicated that the suit was meritless and highlighted the fact that Liebeck spilled the coffee on herself rather than any wrongdoing on the company's part. [ 34 ] [ 35 ] [ 36 ] They state that the vast majority of judges who consider similar cases dismiss them before they get to a jury. [ 37 ] Liebeck died on August 5, 2004, aged 91. According to her daughter, "the burns and court proceedings (had taken) their toll" and in the years following the settlement Liebeck had no quality of life . She said the settlement had paid for a live-in nurse. [ 11 ] Similar lawsuits [ edit ] In McMahon v. Bunn Matic Corporation (1998), Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Frank Easterbrook wrote a unanimous opinion affirming dismissal of a similar lawsuit against coffeemaker manufacturer Bunn-O-Matic , finding that 179 °F (82 °C) hot coffee was not "unreasonably dangerous". [ 37 ] In Bogle v. McDonald's Restaurants Ltd. (2002), a similar lawsuit in the United Kingdom failed when the court rejected the claim that McDonald's could have avoided injury by serving coffee at a lower temperature. [ 38 ] Since Liebeck , major vendors of coffee, including Chick-Fil-A , [ 39 ] Starbucks , Dunkin' Donuts , Wendy's , Burger King , [ 40 ] hospitals, [ 41 ] and McDonald's [ 42 ] have been defendants in similar lawsuits over coffee-related burns. There have also been lawsuits over injuries from other hot liquids. [ 43 ] Two years prior to Liebeck , a similar lawsuit was settled during the trial for $15 million due to injuries from a sink in a rented apartment. [ 44 ] Another lawsuit involving McDonald's was heard in Florida with the restaurant sued after a four-year-old girl suffered second-degree burns after a chicken nugget from a Happy Meal fell in between her leg and the seatbelt. [ 45 ] McDonald's was found liable for negligence in the case and in July 2023 the girl, then eight years-old, was awarded $800,000 in damages. [ 46 ] Coffee temperature [ edit ] According to a 2007 report, McDonald's had not reduced the temperature of its coffee, serving it at 176–194 °F (80–90 °C), [ 33 ] relying on more sternly worded warnings on cups made of rigid foam to avoid future injury and liability (though it continues to face lawsuits over hot coffee). [ 33 ] [ 47 ] However, in 2013, the New York Times reported that McDonald's had lowered its service temperature to 170–180 °F (77–82 °C). [ 13 ] The Specialty Coffee Association of America supports improved packaging methods rather than lowering the temperature at which coffee is served. The association has successfully aided the defense of subsequent coffee burn cases. [ 47 ] Similarly, as of 2004, Starbucks sells coffee at 175–185 °F (79–85 °C), and the executive director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America reported that the standard serving temperature is 160–185 °F (71–85 °C). [ citation needed ] Hot Coffee documentary [ edit ] Main article: Hot Coffee (film) On June 27, 2011, HBO premiered a documentary about tort reform problems, Hot Coffee . [ 48 ] A large portion of the film covered Liebeck's lawsuit. This included news clips, comments from celebrities and politicians about the case, as well as myths and misconceptions, including how many people thought she was driving when the incident occurred and thought that she suffered only minor superficial burns. [ 49 ] The New York Times Retro Report [ edit ] On October 21, 2013, The New York Times published a Retro Report video about the media reaction and an accompanying article about the changes in coffee drinking over 20 years. [ 13 ] [ 50 ] The New York Times noted how the details of Liebeck's story lost length and context as it was reported worldwide, [ 13 ] and that McDonald's, rather than Liebeck, was portrayed as the victim. [ 51 ] Within a month, the Retro Report video had more than one million views and had triggered debate in the online comments. [ 52 ] See also [ edit ] Compensation culture McDonald's legal cases " The Postponement " and " The Maestro " — Seinfeld episodes which include a parody of the case References [ edit ] .mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}body.skin-vector-2022 .mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:27em}body.skin-vector-2022 .mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:22.5em}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=upper-alpha]{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=upper-roman]{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=lower-alpha]{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=lower-greek]{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=lower-roman]{list-style-type:lower-roman}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-upper-alpha .references{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-upper-roman .references{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-lower-alpha .references{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-lower-greek .references{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-lower-roman .references{list-style-type:lower-roman} ^ Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants , P.T.S., Inc., No. D-202 CV-93-02419, 1995 WL 360309 ( Bernalillo County , N.M. Dist. Ct. August 18, 1994), docket entry from nmcourts.com ^ .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#bf3c2c)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#bf3c2c)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}} Simmons, Andy (July 15, 2021). "Remember the Hot Coffee Lawsuit? It Changed the Way McDonald's Heats Coffee Forever" . Reader's Digest . ^ a b Burks, Susanne (December 1, 1994). "McDonald's Settles Coffee-Burn Suit" . Albuquerque Journal . p. 1 . Retrieved April 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. ^ "Liebeck v. McDonald's" . www.tortmuseum.org . June 13, 2016 . Retrieved January 13, 2022 . ^ "McDonald's settles lawsuit over burn from coffee". The Wall Street Journal . December 2, 1994. B6. ^ a b Greenlee 1997 , p. 701. ^ a b Pearel, Lauren (May 2, 2007). " 'I'm Being Sued for WHAT?' " . ABC News . Archived from the original on March 27, 2015 . Retrieved June 28, 2020 . ^ a b Levin, Myron (August 14, 2005). "Legal Urban Legends Hold Sway | Tall tales of outrageous jury awards have helped bolster business-led campaigns to overhaul the civil justice system" . www.kentlaw.edu . Archived from the original on March 3, 2012. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : Pacchia, Lee (June 28, 2011). "Hot Coffee Filmmaker Says Contributions Produce Biased Judges" . YouTube . Bloomberg . ^ Tucker, Ken (June 27, 2011). "The must-watch TV show of the night: 'Hot Coffee' on HBO" . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved June 28, 2011 . ^ a b Smith, Toby (January 6, 2009). "Student Measured Heat in Coffee Case" . Albuquerque Journal . Archived from the original on October 15, 2015 . Retrieved May 16, 2015 . ^ Gerlin, Andrea (September 2, 1994). "Spilled coffee worth $2.9-million" . Tampa Bay Times . p. 7A . Retrieved April 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. ^ a b c d e f Scalded by Coffee, Then News Media (MP4). The New York Times . October 21, 2013 . Retrieved October 26, 2013 . ^ Michael McCann, William Haltom, and Anne Bloom, "Law & Society Symposium: Java Jive: Genealogy of a Juridical Icon", 56 U. Miami L. Rev. 113 (October 2001), which describes the accident in detail ^ a b c d e f g Gerlin, Andrea (September 1, 1994). "A Matter of Degree: How a Jury Decided that a Coffee Spill is Worth $2.9 Million" (PDF) . The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015 . Retrieved June 18, 2015 . ^ a b Nader & Smith 1996 , p. 268. ^ Kaufman, Matthew (April 10, 1995). "Coffee case a hot topic; facts cool debate" . Hartford Courant . p. A5 . Retrieved April 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. ^ "Are Lawyers Burning America?" . Newsweek . March 13, 2010 . Retrieved April 13, 2025 . ^ a b FindLaw's team of legal writers. "The McDonald's Coffee Cup Case: Separating McFacts From McFiction" . Findlaw . ^ Horsey, Kirsty; Rackley, Erika (June 18, 2013). Tort Law . Oxford University Press. pp. 356–. ISBN 978-0-19-966189-3 . ^ Haltom & McCann 2009 , pp. 186ff. ^ Amended Complaint about Damages, Stella LIEBECK, Plaintiff, v. MCDONALD'S RESTAURANTS, P.T.S, Inc. and McDonald's Corporation, Defendants. 1993 WL 13651163, District Court of New Mexico, (Bernalillo County, N.M. Dist. Ct. October 5, 1993) ^ a b "Plaintiff's daughter says public has wrong perception of mother" . Jonesboro Sun . Associated Press. April 15, 1995. p. 12C . Retrieved April 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. ^ "The McDonald's Hot Coffee Case" . www.caoc.org . Retrieved April 15, 2022 . ^ a b Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants , docket entry from nmcourts.com [ full citation needed ] ^ "Liebeck v. McDonald's" . www.tortmuseum.org . June 13, 2016 . Retrieved May 15, 2022 . ^ "McDsScaldingCoffee" . www.gtla.org . ^ Nader & Smith 1996 , pp. 270–272. ^ Major Holmes, Sue (September 15, 1994). "Award in scalding case reduced" . Concord Monitor . Associated Press. p. A10 . Retrieved April 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. ^ Document 00689724 - McDonalds scalding: woman burned by hot coffee gets $2.9 million . Albuquerque: Associated Press. August 18, 1994. ^ McCann, Michael; Haltom, William; Bloom, Anne (2001). "Java Jive: Genealogy of a Juridical Icon" . U. Miami L. Rev . 56 (113). Archived from the original on May 1, 2024 . Retrieved May 1, 2024 . {{ cite journal }} : CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown ( link ) ^ Malhotra, Neil (October 21, 2022). "An Empirical Analysis of "Tort Tales": How Cultural Memes Influence Attitudes on Tort Reform" . Journal of Law and Courts . 3 (1): 149– 166. doi : 10.1086/679018 . ISSN 2164-6570 . ^ a b c "Huntingdon & St Ives latest news - Burger chain sued after boy's ordeal" . www.cambridge-news.co.uk . June 22, 2007. Archived from the original on May 15, 2009 . Retrieved May 14, 2008 . ^ Bainbridge, Stephen (August 1, 2004). "Trial lawyer propaganda at kos" (revised relocated blog entry) . Retrieved May 14, 2008 . ) ^ Sebok, Anthony J. (November 2006). "Dispatches from the Tort Wars". Texas Law Review . 85 : 1509– 1510. ^ Frank, Ted (October 20, 2005). "Urban legends and Stella Liebeck and the McDonald's coffee case" . Overlawyered . ^ a b "Angelina and Jack McMahon, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. Bunn-O-Matic Corporation, James River Paper Company, and Wincup Holdings, L.P., Defendants-Appellees" . Findlaw . July 2, 1998. ^ England and Wales High Court (March 25, 2002). "Bogle & Ors v McDonald's Restaurants Ltd" . www.bailii.org . 33. ^ Hurtado, Linda (February 12, 2011). "Local woman sues National Franchise over coffee" . ABC Action News . The E.W. Scripps Co. Archived from the original on November 4, 2011 . Retrieved March 22, 2013 . ^ "Burned woman sues Burger King" . 3 News NZ . January 10, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013 . Retrieved January 9, 2013 . ^ O'Brien, John (June 6, 2006). "Woman's estate sues over hot coffee" . The West Virginia Record . Madison County Record, Inc. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016 . Retrieved March 22, 2013 . ^ Behme, Todd J. (March 23, 2012). "McDonald's hit with 2 hot-coffee lawsuits" . Crain's Chicago Business . Retrieved April 21, 2013 . ^ Burke, Minyvonne (April 22, 2020). "Family of 3-year-old severely burned at Wawa by hot water gets $3 million settlement" . NBC News . ^ York, Michael (May 27, 1992). "Child Scalded In Sink To Get $15 Million" . The Washington Post . ^ "McDonald's found liable for hot Chicken McNugget that burned girl" . AP News . May 12, 2023 . Retrieved May 14, 2023 . ^ "Jury awards Florida girl burned by McDonald's Chicken McNugget $800,000 in damages" . AP News . Retrieved July 21, 2023 . ^ a b Greenlee 1997 , p. 724. ^ Schwartz, John (June 24, 2011). "Documentary Gives Hot Issue Caffeinated Jolt" . The New York Times . Retrieved April 12, 2025 . ^ Debruge, Peter (January 30, 2011). "Hot Coffee" . Variety . Retrieved April 12, 2025 . ^ Stout, Hilary (October 21, 2013). "Not Just a Hot Cup Anymore" . Retro Report. The New York Times . Retrieved October 26, 2013 . ^ Scalded by Coffee, Then News Media . The New York Times (MP4). October 21, 2013. Event occurs at 6:45–11:35. ^ Bertram, Bonnie (October 25, 2013). "Storm Still Brews Over Scalding Coffee" . Retro Report. The New York Times . Retrieved October 26, 2013 . Bibliography [ edit ] Greenlee, Mark B. (1997). " Kramer v. Java World : Images, Issues, and Idols in the Debate over Tort Reform". Capital University Law Review . 26 (4): 701– 738. Haltom, William; McCann, Michael (2009) [2004]. Distorting the Law: Politics, Media, and the Litigation Crisis . Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-31469-3 . Nader, Ralph ; Smith, Wesley J. (1996). No Contest: Corporate Lawyers and the Perversion of Justice in America . New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0-679-42972-2 . Further reading [ edit ] Rutherford, Denney G. (1998). "Lessons from Liebeck: QSRs Cool the Coffee". Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly . 39 (3): 72– 75. doi : 10.1177/001088049803900314 . ISSN 0010-8804 . S2CID 154928258 . Enghagen, Linda K.; Gilardi, Anthony (2002). "Putting things in perspective: McDonald's and the $2.9-million cup of coffee". Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly . 43 (3): 53– 60. doi : 10.1016/S0010-8804(02)80018-0 . ISSN 0010-8804 . External links [ edit ] The Stella Liebeck McDonald's Hot Coffee Case FAQ at Abnormal Use Do you Know The Full Story Behind the Case and How Corporations Used it to Promote Tort Reform? by Democracy Now! Liebeck v. McDonald’s: The Hot Coffee Case at the American Museum of Tort Law The McDonald’s Hot Coffee Case at the Consumer Attorneys of California Scalded by Coffee, Then News Media by The New York Times .mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist 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ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}} v t e United States tort law Intentional Torts Assault & Battery Garratt v. Dailey Katko v. Briney Vosburg v. Putney Picard v. Barry Pontiac-Buick, Inc. Sheridan v. United States Abuse of process Hartman v. Moore intentional infliction of emotional distress Snyder v. Phelps Hustler Magazine v. Falwell Trespass to land & Trespass to chattels Rowland v. Christian CompuServe Inc. v. Cyber Promotions, Inc. Dougherty v. Stepp Intel Corp. v. Hamidi United Zinc & Chemical Co. v. Britt Sioux City & Pacific Railroad Co. v. Stout Conversion Haslem v. Lockwood Popov v. Hayashi Privacy , Publicity rights Taus v. Loftus Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Co. Tortious interference Redbox Automated Retail LLC v. Universal City Studios LLLP Defamation See United States defamation law Negligence Duty of care Brown v. Kendall Trimarco v. Klein Jablonski by Pahls v. United States Kerans v. Porter Paint Co. Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co. Mexicali Rose v. Superior Court Medical malpractice Landeros v. Flood Union Pacific Railway Co. v. Botsford Mohr v. Williams Schloendorff v. Society of New York Hospital Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California Scott v. Bradford Wrongful death , Loss of consortium Cahoon v. Cummings Hitaffer v. Argonne Co. Werling v. Sandy Common employment Albro v. Agawam Canal Co. Farwell v. Boston & Worcester Railroad Corp. Vance v. Ball State University Public Authority, Fireman's rule , Negligence per se Boub v. Township of Wayne Briscoe v. LaHue United States v. GlaxoSmithKline Seong Sil Kim v. New York City Transit Authority United States v. Johnson (1987) Martin v. Herzog Tedla v. Ellman Yount v. City of Sacramento Pearson v. Callahan Saucier v. Katz Causation Summers v. Tice Ybarra v. Spangard Ultramares Corp. v. Touche Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. Negligent infliction of emotional distress Krouse v. Graham Dillon v. Legg Archibald v. Braverman Thing v. La Chusa Miller v. National Broadcasting Co. Molien v. Kaiser Foundation Hospitals Nuisance Public Spur Industries, Inc. v. Del E. Webb Development Co. Private Boomer v. Atlantic Cement Co. Strict liability Ultrahazardous activity Alwin v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Co. v. American Cyanamid Co. Product liability Thomas v. Winchester Sindell v. Abbott Laboratories Friend v. Childs Dining Hall Co. Loop v. Litchfield Losee v. Clute Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Thompson Geier v. American Honda Motor Co. Chysky v. Drake Bros. Co. Devlin v. Smith Damages Joint and several liability Walt Disney World Co. v. Wood Comparative negligence Li v. Yellow Cab Co. Knight v. Jewett Hoffman v. Jones American Motorcycle Ass'n v. Superior Court Punitive damages BMW of North America, Inc. v. Gore Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants Pearson v. Chung Honda Motor Co. v. Oberg State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Campbell v t e McDonald's History Advertising marketing campaigns Countries with franchises Legal cases Product list International availability McDonald's and unions People Richard and Maurice McDonald Ray Kroc Joan Kroc Ralph Alvarez Charlie Bell Al Bernardin Jim Cantalupo George Cohon Dan Coudreaut Steve Easterbrook Chuck Edwards Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño Janice L. Fields Den Fujita Don Gorske Jack M. Greenberg Lou Groen Eikō Harada Chris Kempczinski June Martino Herb Peterson Michael R. Quinlan Ed Rensi Willard Scott James A. Skinner Donald N. Smith Harry J. Sonneborn Don Thompson Fred L. Turner George T. Yang Company Hamburger University Leaps and Bounds McBarge McCafé CosMc's McDonald's Chicago Flagship McDonald's #1 Store Museum McDonald's at the Will Rogers Archway McDonaldland Oldest McDonald's restaurant PlayPlace Ronald McDonald Ronald McDonald House Charities World's Largest Entertainment McDonald's eCrew Development Program Ice cream machine Products Beef Big Mac Big N' Tasty Deluxe line Kiwiburger Quarter Pounder (McRoyal) McDouble McKroket Chicken Chicken McNuggets McChicken Snack Wrap Other McDonald's french fries BTS Meal Filet-O-Fish Georgie Pie Happy Meal McArabia McFlurry McGriddles McMuffin McPlant McRib McVegan McVeggie Premium line Shamrock Shake Grimace Shake Former Arch Deluxe Buttermilk Crispy Tenders McAfrika Advertising Campaigns Donald Land Global Gladiators Golden Arches It's the Most Terrible Time of the Year Mac Tonight McDonald's Monopoly McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure M.C. Kids McKids Teenie Beanies The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald Grimace's Birthday Sponsorships 23XI Racing ( NASCAR ) Graham Rahal ( IndyCar Series ) McDonald's 1984 Olympics promotion McDonald's All-American Game McDonald's Championship McDonald's Championship (golf) McDonald's Cycle Center McDonald's Gospelfest McDonald's Super Smash McDonald's Olympic Swim Stadium Related Burger wars Dreaming in Mono Fast food advertising Mac and Me (1988 film) McDonald's sign (Pine Bluff, Arkansas) " Stop it. Get some help. " Supersize Branches Canada France Israel Netherlands New Zealand Pakistan Philippines Russia ( Vkusno i tochka ) Ukraine Arcos Dorados Holdings Westlife Foodworld (India) Criticism Fast Food Nation ( film ) McDonaldization McDonald's Video Game McDonald's and unions McJob McRefugee McLibel Maxime, McDuff & McDo Super Size Me Don't Eat This Book Legal cases Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants Magee v. McDonald's McDonald's Restaurants v. Morris & Steel Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions Inc. v. McDonald's Corp. Related Attacks San Ysidro McDonald's massacre (1984) Taiwan McDonald's bombings (1992) Sydney River McDonald's murders (1992) Murder of Wu Shuoyan (2014) Munich shooting (2016) Magnificent Mile shooting (2022) Other McDelivery Big Mac Index McDonald's Young Entertainers McWords Olympic Park McDonald's " Seriously McDonalds " Statue of a Quarter Pounder Taylor Company Top Fast-Food Toy Collections Museum Urban legends " Boom, Like That " The Founder (2016 film) McMillions (2020 documentary series) List of nicknames for McDonald's 2024 McDonald's E. coli outbreak .mw-parser-output .portal-bar{font-size:88%;font-weight:bold;display:flex;justify-content:center;align-items:baseline}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-bordered{padding:0 2em;background-color:#fdfdfd;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;clear:both;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-related{font-size:100%;justify-content:flex-start}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-unbordered{padding:0 1.7em;margin-left:0}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-header{margin:0 1em 0 0.5em;flex:0 0 auto;min-height:24px}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-content{display:flex;flex-flow:row wrap;flex:0 1 auto;padding:0.15em 0;column-gap:1em;align-items:baseline;margin:0;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-content-related{margin:0;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-item{display:inline-block;margin:0.15em 0.2em;min-height:24px;line-height:24px}@media screen and (max-width:768px){.mw-parser-output .portal-bar{font-size:88%;font-weight:bold;display:flex;flex-flow:column wrap;align-items:baseline}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-header{text-align:center;flex:0;padding-left:0.5em;margin:0 auto}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-related{font-size:100%;align-items:flex-start}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-content{display:flex;flex-flow:row wrap;align-items:center;flex:0;column-gap:1em;border-top:1px solid #a2a9b1;margin:0 auto;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-content-related{border-top:none;margin:0;list-style:none}}.mw-parser-output .navbox+link+.portal-bar,.mw-parser-output .navbox+style+.portal-bar,.mw-parser-output .navbox+link+.portal-bar-bordered,.mw-parser-output .navbox+style+.portal-bar-bordered,.mw-parser-output .sister-bar+link+.portal-bar,.mw-parser-output .sister-bar+style+.portal-bar,.mw-parser-output .portal-bar+.navbox-styles+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .portal-bar+.navbox-styles+.sister-bar{margin-top:-1px} Portals : Coffee Drink Law New Mexico United States 1990s <img src="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&amp;type=1x1&amp;usesul3=1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"> Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liebeck_v._McDonald%27s_Restaurants&oldid=1333859879 " Categories : 1994 in New Mexico 1994 in United States case law Coffee preparation Food safety in the United States History of Albuquerque, New Mexico McDonald's litigation New Mexico state case law United States consumer protection case law United States tort case law Hidden categories: CS1: unfit URL All articles with incomplete citations Articles with incomplete citations from March 2020 CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata Use mdy dates from July 2023 Use American English from July 2023 All Wikipedia articles written in American English All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2022