You have probably heard about the McDonald’s lawsuit before in the media. You know that a woman went to McDonald’s, bought a coffee, spilled the coffee in her lap, burned herself, and sued McDonald’s for a LOT of money. It is likely that you have been told that the incident occurred because the woman was driving crazily which caused the coffee to spill. The woman sued McDonald’s for millions and now lives happily as a millionaire. These statements about the McDonald’s lawsuit couldn’t be further from the truth. So what really did happen? Adam Ruins Everything on truTV shares with us the facts.
How Did The Accident Really Occur?
Stella Liebeck was 79 years old when she was driven to McDonald’s by her grandson to get coffee. The car was parked when she spilled the coffee in her lap. Stella openly admits that the spill was her own fault. Stella suffered third-degree burns on her legs and genitals. She went into shock and had to undergo painful skin graft operations. Stella’s surgeon claimed that it was the worst cases he had ever seen. Stella was permanently disfigured and could have died.
McDonald’s Admits To Safety Hazard
The coffee Stella was served at McDonald’s was over 190 degrees- almost boiling. McDonald’s admitted that serving their coffee at this temperature was a safety hazard. In the decade prior over 700 people contacted McDonald’s due to a burn from their coffee.
The Settlement
Stella did not want to go to court, she simply wanted to get help with her $20,000 in medical expenses. McDonald’s offered Stella a total of $800.00 after making her wait over 6 months. Stella made attempts to settle with McDonald’s, she even agreed to mediation. McDonald’s left Stella no choice but to go to court. They jury found that McDonald’s acted so irresponsibly they had to be punished. The jury fined them 2.7 million, equivalent to two days of coffee sales. Stella settled for less than $600,000 and McDonald’s lowered the temperature of their coffee.
Why Haven’t We Heard The Truth?
The corporate lawyers assigned to the McDonalds case spent years running a disinformation campaign. The lawyers claimed that there was an “epidemic of frivolous lawsuits”. The media fell for their campaign.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of an individual or company, contact Thurswell Law immediately for assistance. Call (248) 354-2222 today for your free consultation.
