So, Stella Lieback, 79 years old and a passenger in her nephew’s car, bought a cup of coffee at a drive-through window of a McDonald’s in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As she placed the cup between her legs to remove the lid to add cream and sugar, she spilled the coffee, burning herself. Lieback sued McDonald’s alleging the coffee was too hot, and a jury awarded her $160,000 to compensate her for her injuries and 2.7 million to punish McDonald’s. Lieback was in the hospital for a week with third-degree burns requiring skin grafts. She initially was willing to settle the case for her medical expenses, but McDonald’s refused. Okay, so if you were in that jury, how would you rule this case? Do you think this is lawsuit abuse, or do you think McDonald’s should be held accountable?
This case was controversial for both advocates of tort reform and for those who believe tort law allows powerful entities to be held accountable for their actions.