In the United States, everyone knows the story about the woman who sued McDonald’s when her coffee was too hot. The media hyped this case up as a needless lawsuit, but there was actually more merit to it than met the eye. McDonald’s had been warned about the temperature of their coffee numerous times, but they failed to rectify the situation.
For this reason, they were successfully sued over this famous coffee. Most companies sell coffee in a temperature range of 140 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, but as a marketing ploy, McDonald’s coffee measured in at over 200 degrees. Because of this, the 79 year old woman was burned extensively.
Her burns covered much of her body including her groin, buttocks and thighs, which amounted to over 20% of her entire body surface. Another untruth about this famous lawsuit is that the woman received a 1 million dollar settlement. First, McDonald’s only offered the woman $800 when her medical bills had already mounded to over $20,000.
The 1 million dollar amount was equal to a couple days of coffee sales for the fast food mogul, and was used in court to express exactly how much money they make on coffee alone. The woman actually received about $600,000 in damages as well as a notoriety as the victim of one of the most famous lawsuits in the history of this country.
