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Running head: MCDONALDS COFFEE CASE

McDonald’s Coffee Case
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Institution

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MCDONALDS COFFEE CASE

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Introduction
McDonalds Coffee Case is a 1994 product liability lawsuit that brought about a debate in
the United States to reforms torts. Stella Liebeck, a plaintiff who suffered a third-degree burn
around her pelvic region after the hot coffee purchased from a McDonald's restaurant
accidentally spilled in her lap. The basis of her claim is that the coffee served at 190 degrees is
not fit for consumption. She dealt with third-degree burns and pain. She also took a long time to
recover. Therefore, this paper seeks to discuss the basis of her claim to establish whether it was
an intentional tort, negligent or simply a strict liability. The paper shall also seek to explore more
on why Liebeck’s lawyer believed that indeed McDonald’s for this tort and if it is reasonable
enough for a drink bought at a restaurant to give causes a third-degree burn. The paper shall
finally evaluate the decision of the jury and make a conclusion on the decision made.
Background
Stella Liebeck made a 49-cent cup of coffee order through a drive-through window of
one of McDonald’s restaurants on February 27, 1992, at 5001 Gibson Boulevard Southeast
(Rutherford, 1998). Liebeck had sat in a passenger seat and the vehicle, Ford Probe, did not have
cup holders. Her grandson parked the car so that his grander mother could add cream and sugar
to her coffee. Liebeck then placed her cup of coffee between her knees. She then pulled the lid
towards her direction in an attempt to remove it but unfortunately, she ended up spilling the
entire cup of coffee on her lap. Since she had worn a cotton sweat pants, it absorbed coffee
which scalded her thighs, buttocks, and groin (Nader, 1996). She was then taken to hospital
whereby the doctor established that she suffered up to third-degree burns whereby six percent of
her skin was affected and lesser burns amounted up to sixteen percent (Cain, 2007). She was
therefore hospitalized for eight days during which she underwent skin grafting, l...