During the trial it was revealed that McDonald’s knew that heating their coffee to this temperature would be dangerous, but they did it anyways because it would save them money. When you serve coffee that is too hot to drink, it will take much longer for a person to drink their coffee, which means that McDonald’s will not have to give out as many free refills of coffee. This policy by the fast food chain is the reason the jury awarded $2.7 million dollars in punitive damages in the McDonald’s hot coffee case. Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant for their inappropriate business practice.

  • Whorehoarder@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
    124·
    11 months ago

    Must be one of the more successful smear campaigns in recent history. I’m not even from the us and we heard about that shit and used it as an example of greed and frivolous lawsuits. It was only like 5 years back I learned the truth. Believed that shit for 25 years…

    Edit: oops should’ve responded to the media part of thread

    • ANGRY_MAPLE@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      502·
      11 months ago

      Poor lady. Her labia was physically fused together from the heat, but she was still called dramatic. I can’t imagine everything that she had to go through.

      • maniajack@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
        25·
        11 months ago

        And she originally only asked for McDonald’s to cover her medical expenses ($20k) which they refused.

            • Dkarma@lemmy.worldEnglish
              12·
              11 months ago

              Thanks for proving my point. There is no way quick contact with coffee even at 200 degrees can do this.

              This is caused by letting it sit. She could have taken her pants off and prevented burns this bad.

              • AnonTwo@kbin.social
                2·
                11 months ago

                Old lady in a car gets coffee on her lap.

                No she fucking couldn’t. And even if she could you are grossly underestimating the damage of 16oz of 200 degrees coffee.

                All you’re doing is showing how much of a sociopath you are.

          • theangryseal@lemmy.worldEnglish
            4·
            11 months ago

            The woman was 79 years old. Getting the pants on before her labia was fused together by intentionally overheated coffee was probably a fucking chore.

          • JackbyDev@programming.devEnglish
            2·
            11 months ago

            Listen, do this as a test, pour water a cup of water on your pants. See if your legs get wet. Better yet, heat it up or chill it (not enough to hurt yourself) and see how cold or warm your legs feel.

            • Dkarma@lemmy.worldEnglish
              13·
              11 months ago

              False equivalent test. Yes ur legs will get wet. No u won’t get burns like u see in the pics. That’s my point. This would have been a minor scalding if she wouldnt have just sat there and had taken her pants off.

              • havokdj@lemmy.worldEnglish
                2·
                11 months ago

                Dude, she was 79 years old and wearing jeans. You think she could just jump out of them in like 2 seconds? She’s in a fucking car in a drive through, you can’t even get out the drivers side door in those circumstanced.

              • JackbyDev@programming.devEnglish
                1·
                11 months ago

                You’d only get a light scalding because I’m telling you to not get near boiling water. I’m telling you to do this to see if your legs get wet and if you can still feel the temperature even if they somehow don’t.