Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants
Ok kiddo, so let's talk about a time when a lady named Liebeck spilled hot coffee on herself at a McDonald's. This happened a long time ago, in 1992.
Liebeck was sitting in a car with her grandson at a McDonald's drive-thru. She put the coffee cup between her legs to add cream and sugar. But when she tried to take off the lid, the hot coffee spilled on her lap, causing severe burns.
Now, McDonald's usually serves coffee that's hot enough to burn you. But Liebeck's coffee was extra hot, about 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit! That's hotter than a lot of other restaurants and even hospitals where they serve hot liquids.
Liebeck had to get skin grafts and was in the hospital for a week. So she decided to sue McDonald's for not warning her about the dangerously hot coffee.
In court, Liebeck's lawyer said that McDonald's should have known that serving such hot coffee could be dangerous. And that they should have warned people or made the coffee cooler.
The jury agreed and awarded Liebeck a lot of money, almost $3 million! Some people were upset with this, saying that Liebeck should have been more careful with her coffee. But her supporters said that McDonald's should have taken more responsibility for keeping their customers safe.
So, that's the story of Liebeck v. McDonald's restaurants. It shows why companies have to be careful with how they serve and sell products, and why it's important to be aware of safety concerns.
Liebeck was sitting in a car with her grandson at a McDonald's drive-thru. She put the coffee cup between her legs to add cream and sugar. But when she tried to take off the lid, the hot coffee spilled on her lap, causing severe burns.
Now, McDonald's usually serves coffee that's hot enough to burn you. But Liebeck's coffee was extra hot, about 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit! That's hotter than a lot of other restaurants and even hospitals where they serve hot liquids.
Liebeck had to get skin grafts and was in the hospital for a week. So she decided to sue McDonald's for not warning her about the dangerously hot coffee.
In court, Liebeck's lawyer said that McDonald's should have known that serving such hot coffee could be dangerous. And that they should have warned people or made the coffee cooler.
The jury agreed and awarded Liebeck a lot of money, almost $3 million! Some people were upset with this, saying that Liebeck should have been more careful with her coffee. But her supporters said that McDonald's should have taken more responsibility for keeping their customers safe.
So, that's the story of Liebeck v. McDonald's restaurants. It shows why companies have to be careful with how they serve and sell products, and why it's important to be aware of safety concerns.