Reed Morgan McDonalds was serving their coffee at 180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. 30-40 degrees hotter than other coffee-serving restaurants in the area.
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Watch The Story Behind The Mcdonald S Coffee Lawsuit Eater
In 1992 as Vox explains 79-year-old Stella Liebeck had her grandson take her to McDonalds where she ordered the now-infamous coffee and spilled it on her lap.
How hot was the coffee in the mcdonald's lawsuit. The coffee that burned Stella Liebeck was dangerously hot hot enough to cause third-degree burns even through clothes in. If spilled coffee at this temperature will cause third-degree burns within two to seven seconds. This case has become synonymous with Americas over-litigious society and a supposed lack of common sense.
Lawyers produced documents that showed that between 1983 and 1992 nearly 700 people claimed that they had been burned by hot coffee at McDonalds. The most damaging testimony against McDonalds actually came from its own quality assurance manager who testified that McDonalds required their restaurants to keep the coffee pot temperature at 185 degrees. Company Policy on Coffee Temperature.
Everyone admitted hot coffee is unsafe to drink at 180 to 190 degrees and it will cause burns to the throat if swallowed within the first few minutes. While preparing the hot coffee lawsuit Morgan spoke with expert Dr. At this temperature spilled coffee causes third degree burns in less than three seconds.
McDonalds policy was to serve coffee between 180 and 190 degrees. Morgan learned that liquid with a temperature of 180-190 could lead to third-degree burns in as little as two to seven seconds and especially so if clothing absorbs the liquid. McDonalds coffee was served at a temperature between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
McDonalds now serves its coffee at a temperature that is 10 degrees lower. This will cause third-degree burns in about 60 seconds rather than in two to seven seconds so that the margin of safety has been. In refusing to grant a new trial in the case Judge Robert Scott called McDonalds behavior callous Moreover the day after the verdict the news media documented that coffee at the McDonalds in Albuquerque where Liebeck was burned is now sold at 158 degrees.
However when you. Thats quicker than the amount of time it took you to read this sentence. In fact this temperature range was indicated in its operations manual.
According to Liebecks attorney S. Since the was was filed people have pursued hot coffee claims against not just McDonalds but Burger King Dunkin. Everyone knows coffee is supposed to be served hot so that could not have been a surprise to Stella.
The coffee was heated to somewhere between 180 to 190 degrees. McDonalds was unfairly punished for serving hot coffee because everyone knows that hot coffee can cause burns. We have all heard that now-infamous story about the greedy old lady Liebeck who got rich suing McDonalds for her coffee being too hot Doesnt everyone know that coffee is hot.
In 1992 Stella Liebeck spilled scalding McDonalds coffee in her lap and sued the company attracting a flood of negative media attention. McDonalds didnt just serve their coffee hot their operations manual required that is be served between 180 and 190 degrees. He admitted that a burn risk existed for any food or drink served at over 140 degrees and that the coffee poured into the cups was not yet fit for consumption since it was well above that.
Other restaurants served coffee at 160 degrees. The Shriners Burn Institute in Cincinnati issued warnings that coffee served above 130 degrees was dangerously hot. All McDonalds restaurants served coffee between 180 and 190 degrees.
Now to be clear Liebeck never blamed McDonalds for her accident but rather took issue with the coffees temperature being insanely hot. Evidence presented at trial showed that McDonalds required franchisees to keep coffee heated between 180-190 degrees and that the restaurant received more than 700 complaints from customers who were burned as a result of the coffee. McDonalds admitted the product was too hot to drink when sold and they did not contest the fact that it took 25 minutes to cool to a drinkable temperature Allen 1995.
In the 10 years before the case more than 700 people who were scalded by. People did not realize how seriously they could be burned. But theres much.
How can we allow a person to get rich from such a stupid and frivolous lawsuit. McDonalds had long known that this was 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the coffee served at most other restaurants. A burn expert testified that liquid at 180 degrees could cause third degree burns within fifteen seconds.
In 1992 news media across the United States exploded over a now-infamous personal injury case in which a woman Stella Liebeck was awarded just short of 3 million in damages when she spilled a cup of scalding hot coffee in her lap. It can even cause severe burns at 130 degrees. McDonalds Hot Coffee Lawsuit.
Our cups even have the warning hot printed on them. As the museum states.
