The Misunderstood McDonald's Hot Coffee Lawsuit | Retro Report on PBS
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- Опубликовано: 30 июл 2024
- The debate over frivolous lawsuits took shape years ago after McDonald’s coffee spilled into a woman’s lap and she was awarded millions in damages. Her complaint sounded frivolous. But the facts told another story. Lesson plan for educators: bit.ly/RR-hot-coffee
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Poor woman. I worked at McDonald's and have burned my hand with the coffee. It blistered and peeled.
Wow ... sorry to hear that...😲😲😓
Same here. Dumb ass co-worker didn't properly put on the lid to the coffee. I grabbed it and burned my hand. I wanted to kill him.
@@Bladeofwar94 Why didn't you???
@@kareemsalessi Oh I was very close of calling him a dumbass, but he wasn't a total fuckwit so I left it alone.
@Khaliil bin Ammar that's why we don't drink cofee we sip slowly
I hope she lived a good rest of her life. I want her to be remembered as a woman who saved many other people from getting burnt. She seemed so nice :(
The fact that she didn't after that is sadder
They harrased her and completely ruined her life. She died ten years after the settlement
She will be remembered as a Karen. Now all our McDonald’s food and drinks come ice cold lolz
@@JTScott1988 The media didn't give the full story when reporting it. This is what Trump means by fake news.
@@JTScott1988not true, they didn’t lower the temperature of the coffee at all, and there’s a lawsuit about a little girl who got burned by chicken nuggets in July
Poor old lady... She won the lawsuit but her reputation was ruined by McDonald's PR
If they simply paid her medical bill in full there would be no lawsuit. And coffee should never be so hot that it gives third degree burns. Even though putting hot coffee between your legs is a bad idea what choice did she have with no cup holders. Even if she didn’t put the cup between her legs she could have spilled the coffee holding it in her hands or could have of dropped the cup and suffered the same kinds of burns. If coffee is going to be that hot then it should say do not consume right away let cool
Hey Stella. Sorry about your burned labia majora. Here's $800 for your inconvenience. Lots of Love. - The Folks at McDonalds. 😂😂😂
Why couldn't she have made the adjustments she wanted in the restaurant? She coud have walked in if they parked anyway.
I agree they should had paid those medical bills to avoid this crazy lawsuit. I was against the lawsuit before finding more facts like 20-80%.. now I'm about 50-50%.. No matter how you word this lawsuit. It sounds crazy as hell.. like why not sue the car company for not having cup holders? Sometime crazy stuff has to happen for change to be made. She did make a change. Hope her family is doing well.
She had cause to sue. The media sensationalized it. The beauty of this is that a functioning legal system actually worked and forced a mega-corporation to pay punitive damages because that's the only way these big corporations will learn. Yes she was careless, yes the case has the appearance of frivolity but really it's not that frivolous and the litigant wasn't frivolous as her letter would prove.
The woman was stupid, SHE CHOSE to out a cup of hot coffee between her legs
where else? there was no cupholders! this cause launched hot drink warnings, this cause launched cupholders.@@swolfe9668
and they are hell bent on making sure that the COURTS are in their favor... Now we have the CHEVRON decision (thanks Trump and the SCOTUS)... that is going to screw the consumer over and workers over.
Never side with a big corporation like McDonald's. Never!
Stella was a nice lady. Even if McD's reduced the serving temperature of their coffee to 170 degrees, that's still very hot. The boiling point of water is 212 degrees.
She only got around $640,000 in the end, but I bet she only went away with $300,000+ (because of court costs, lawyers fees, etc.) and not the millions she was originally awarded by the jury.
300k is still a lot of money.
@@alexanderchristopher6237 Maybe so but it's still bs. Not sure about that day but McDonalds is a multibillion dollar company, people didn't have a reason to freak out over such little numbers. Even if it was a misunderstood reason.
Not to mention the medical costs she still had to deal with.
not to mention. the 2.9m sum that was originally given by jury, was just TWO(2) days of coffee sales. mcdonalds pays it in burgers&other drinks&salads&desserts back in instant.@@beano2689
There is no earthly reason for their coffee to be as hot as it is. Even now, when it's supposed to be 10 degrees cooler, you have to wait to drink it if you don't want to burn your tongue.
Yeah I can never drink coffee right after I make it in the Keurig machine. I need to put some ice in it to cool it down.
Thanks so much. I have been telling people the truth about this story for years.
I have been thinking about how people are using my emotion to get me to do things against my interest. In the future I need to get information from a trusted source (facts not conspiracy theories) before making an opinion. Would it be possible for you to make an Instagram (short) version of this story so that I can continue to spread the word?
@@EzzyDT Thanks for the suggestion! We just mentioned it to the person who handles Instagram
And yes -- it's so important to get your information from a trusted source. We spend month researching our stories and have an extensive fact-checking process.
The coffee fused her labia guys. That’s the kind of burns. All she asked for was the cover her medical bills initially and they said no. What do you want her to do? If you don’t understand that you’re not worth arguing with.
What I keep thinking, from beginning to end, my first impression and my conclusion: I remember that coffee was waaaay too hot. You had to forget about it and give it a few minutes before even daring to touch the lid. I remember my sister keeping her baby away from it. It was a loaded weapon. This is a 40 year old but strong memory.
I love retro report but why are you guys re uploading episodes with different narrators? I liked the other guy.
Part of our mission as a nonprofit is to keep updating stories as new information arises. This is one of those updates, which is also part of a partnership we are doing with PBS. The show is called Retro Report on PBS.
RETRO REPORT thank you for the response.
RETRO REPORT you should create a new channel saying that. I think a lot of original fans have left because it just feels like you’re recycling old content to gain new viewers. That original fans are not worth making new stories for alongside the revamped old ones. You have lost me as a fan because of the sponsorship pay-out not being handled professionally.
@@RETROREPORT I get it you are trying to update stories. Could you please bring back the original narrator.
@@me3devill We've had a ton of people asking for him!
And then you guys do more follow-ups to your old videos. Fantastic stuff! The minute I can afford to donate again, mannnn..... You guys rock
Thanks so much -- greatly appreciated!
Oh. I remember this when I was a little kid, I remember my mother saying she was a b#&ch and is getting free money, she was so upset, and I believed her.
i heard of this story awhile ago but very briefly. i think it may have happened to a few after bc i swear the story i heard was that a woman spilt her coffee on her hand or something and wanted to sue.. i cannot believe the exact details since it was years ago but my lord. this poor woman and all that pain she had to endure 🥺😭
Wow that attorney for McDonald’s looks like she is a lifetime patron of her employee.
*Employer
If someone dont want hot coffee then order ice with it. That or stick with mcflurrys.
Not wanting it to be scalding hot =/= "not want(ing) hot coffee," that's not how being hot or not works. Heat is a SPECTRUM, it's not "binary," something you flip on and off like a light switch.
Did u not see the images of her burns? No coffee should be able to do that if it's supposed to be drinkable. It was boiling coffee, not hot. I'd like to see u drink it and not destroy your mouth and throat.
@@makingmywaydowntown5759 I blow on mine first. 😁
i feel so sorry for this lady, i hope she's finally at peace. the last years of her life seem to have been spent in a lot of physical and psychological pain
Boiling temps of h20 liquid fluids like coffee is 100 degree celcius, serving should be around 80 degree celcius. These temperatures will just give you a 1st degree burn, getting a 3rd degree burn would be around >=180 degree celcius temps which is NOT NORMAL for serving hot drinks. 100% McD's fault.
fahrenheit, this is america. 180 degrees fahrenheit, water boils there at 212.
So every time you pour boiling water (212 F) over a tea bag at home, you're being more irresponsible than McDonalds (180-190 F)?
Cups used at home are not as flimsy as those styrofoam cups McDonald's used back then. So no.
no, as the person above me said, also you typically don't drink hot tea at 212 degrees F
Best comment on this video. Why is it so hard for people to understand common sense like this?
Bc you know the boiling water YOU poured needed to cool down. She and 700 people didn't know or were aware of the scolding temperature of the coffee from McDonald's. .
Funny thing how that lil bit of logic didn't pop into your head. Did you even watch the documentary Hot Coffee?
It’s crazy to see even in 1992 they were short staffed also. Check out the Now Hiring banner lol 0:26
To all the people saying it's the old ladies fault,
The lid was not properly sealed
She was not driving
It almost killed her
She could not escape as she had a seatbelt on, the coffee sunk into her pants and into the seat boiling her alive
She had 3rd degree burns
So, shut up
1. She removed the lid
2. Who puts a hot beverage between their legs?
3. Her grandson could have held it for her instead of seeing his 78 year old grandmother hold a hot beverage with her legs.
4. It's called personal responsibility
5. They were parked and no one spilled it on her
So SHUT UP!
@@kristinebautz1859 1. She was going to put sugar and cream on it, like most people do. Except, home-brewed coffee is never that hot.
2. Did you miss the part where they mention the car didn't have cup holders?
3. It doesn't make any difference, except that he was going to get the 3rd degree burns himself. That didn't make the cup any less flimsy.
4. The jury said she was 20% responsible for the burns.
@@kristinebautz1859 no thanks, you can tho 😃
@@kristinebautz1859 1. she was going to put sugar in it
2. there was no cup holders.
3. he wasn't in the car, he was getting cream & sugar for her in the building .
4. yes, but mcdonalds is responsible for the fact that her flesh literally melted and that she got 3rd degree burns.
5. BUT SHE GOT 3RD DEGREE BURNS AND HER FLESH LITERALLY MELTED AND FUSED TOGETHER.
@Kristine Bautz lol, I've been reading this entire comment section. And I love the fact you're being put in place by everyone. So much so you can't even bother to reply.
I don't put hot liquids between my legs. No matter what temp it is claimed to be. Not a smart thing to do. Sad this lady got burned so bad. I have to wait for my hot beverages to cool at home. Why, even at 170 degrees would one hold Coffee between their legs? Answer, they are not considering the risk.
I'm a professional driver and as a general rule transport companies carry insurance as required by law to cover damages & injuries not only to company drivers & vehicular but to that of the general public as well. Foodservice companies oughta carry a similar insurance & liability coverage as well IMHO.
Incomplete story::: The reason for a large "Punitive-Damage-Award" was to punish Big-Mac for its malice, because the victim's lawyers showed the Jury the age-old written exchanges among Big-Mac execs, and lawyers, that it was more profitable to keep the coffee that hot, and pay-off the victims along the way, than to lower its temperature and lose more coffee revenue, as a result of it !!! So, a reasonable jury/court would have probably awarded over $20 million as punitive damages award.
Remember, the punitive damage amount in this case was set by the judge. You have no idea what was going through his head that led to his decision.
Good job I like this
Thanks!
Another reason you can't trust corporate media
Who do you trust?
@@TimmyTheTinman Myself.
Do you trust corporate media?
@@Adino1 are you a reporter?
@@TimmyTheTinman Yes. I work for the corporate media.
Why don't u tube show you the picture s of the pictures showing the true ingeries. Cover up.
my question is why why why whhhyyy did she put the coffee between her legs
Because the car did not have any cup holders.
she didn't have any cup holders.
@José Carlos C. Salazar exactly and she wanted to put her sugar and creamer in.
What's the difference between this one and the one uploaded two days ago titled "How Hot Coffee Landed McDonald’s in Hot Water," other than the narrator and the PBS branding.
ruclips.net/video/TE8pJe8OJq4/видео.html
Aaaaaand it only has 12k views. Why am I not surprised.
Poor Mrs. Liebeck...imagine if this had all happened if social media was a thing back then. 😒
There was a documentary called Hot Coffee? The only Hot Coffee I've ever heard of is the GTA San Andreas mod 😆
Maybe we should poor hot coffee on them and see what they think now im talking about the haters on her
You reuploaded this?
Part of our mission as a nonprofit is to keep updating stories as new information arises. This is one of those updates, which is also part of a partnership we are doing with PBS. The show is called Retro Report on PBS.
@@RETROREPORT awesome. I wasn't sure. I've been subscribed for over a year and I KNEW i had seen it before or at least the first part. Keep it up!
Are you all reposting your older videos?
No this story is part of a new partnership we are doing with PBS called Retro Report on PBS. It aired Mondays and Tuesdays in October and can now be streamed at www.pbs.org/show/retro-report-pbs/.
Ok. 😂
ruclips.net/video/pCkL9UlmCOE/видео.html
I still wouldn’t have probably called McDonald to reimburse my medical cost. I understand why she did ask but it wouldn’t have even occurred to me if spilled the coffee on myself no matter how hot it was
I wouldn’t if this was the first time this has happened. However, over 700 people had been burned by their coffee. Yes, the spill was her fault, but McDonalds was serving coffee at an outrageous temperature (190+ degrees)
Go look at the photos of her burns. She got 3rd degree burns on her genitals. This was also not the first time there was a complaint about the temperature of the coffee at McDonald's.
she.didn't.do.it.for.the.money!!!!! she did it so no more people would get 3rd degree burns and have their flesh literally melt and fuse together because a company wanted to save a bit of money!
@@extra_ice_girl it's sad that she got burned. Nobody wanted that. However, she was not using the product as intended. It never should have been placed between her legs with the cover off. Coffee is meant to be very hot. That's how the best flavor gets extracted.
@@twinktoiletsbestfriendsmomscan No hot beverage should be brewed to a temperature that would cause a third degree burn if spilled, no matter where the cup was sitting.
I believe it was the people who work at the drive-thru window at McDonald’s. They should be careful about filling up hot coffee to prevent another Stella Liebeck. McDonald’s should have lowered the water temperature to prevent burns in the event of a spill. Personally, I do feel sorry for Stella!!!
Johnny Cochran would have had a field day with this case she would still to this day be getting paid 😂😂😂
I truly don't understand how there's so many videos trying to make this case sound "misunderstood". I guarantee had the coffee been at the "correct" temperature it would still have caused severe burns.
And I actually don't blame McDonalds for making the coffee hotter. Why? Because as a former McDonalds employee, I've seen first hand how customers get furious if their coffee is not hot enough.
*I guarantee had the coffee been at the "correct" temperature it would still have caused severe burns.*
The difference between coffee served at 190 and even 160 is enormous, IIRC the time in which third degree burns set in from a hot liquid decreases exponentially as the temperature of said liquid rises.
EDIT: Found another comment further down (presumably they didn't post a link to a source to prevent the comment getting auto-removed) that puts it into perspective (assuming it is accurate of course).
*At 120 degrees, it takes 5 minutes for a liquid to cause 3rd degree burns; at 130 degrees it takes 30 seconds; at 140, 6, 150 2. That should clue anyone paying attention to the fact that the time taken to cause 3rd degree burns decreases exponentially when the temperature increases.*
McDonalds was known for having very hot coffee. Thar is specifically wht my sister abd I went there. I hate lukewarm coffee and I'm intelligent enough to know to let it cool a bit and not put it between my legs. Had she done those 2 things this wouldn't have happened.
It wasn’t misunderstood.
She did stupid shit and got burned.
she got third degree burns
> *It wasn’t misunderstood.*
Clearly, you don't seem to get the nuance.
@@DanknDerpyGamer there IS no nuance in putting sugar in a HOT cup of coffee that has a HOT COFFEE WARNING ON IT while in a moving vehicle…
Absolutely NO nuance
@@JTScott1988maybe that coffee shouldn't be boiling perhaps? Just a thought for Mcdonalds when people plan to drink it.
@@JTScott1988 you...do know that back in the 90s and before....there were no warning signs on mcdonalds coffee cups right..?
It's about personal responsibility. I personally like my coffee to be very hot, so I don't want it changed. If I choke on a french fry is it Mcds fault? Uh. No
Agree. I’m sorry but food is hot and so is coffee . She ordered a HOT beverage in a drive thru. Yes I am one of those people.
So both of you like your coffee hot enough to melt your tongues and throats? Hope those medical bills are not too high.
@@nanaya7e433 it's called being an adult and just taking tiny sips. It's not that hard. Being responsible for your own body.
@@SuV33358 It really shows how much you underestimate just how hot the coffee is if you think that small sips woud be enough to stop you from burning off your taste buds :D
Also, it was never about personal responsibility. Everyone agrees that spilling the coffee was that woman's fault. She admitted it and the court ruled so. The problem is that McDonald's not only took no precautions against such situation, but also served the coffee at an unreasonably high temperature even after recieving complaints from customers and warnings from the authorities. Everyone accepts the risk of getting burned when drinking coffee but who in their right mind expects it to be life-threatening?
TL;DR The spilling of the coffee was the woman's responsibility, but the fact that the damage was as bad as it was is definitely McDonald's fault. No amount of regurgitating McD's propaganda will change that.
@@nanaya7e433 well I've been drinking coffee for almost 50 yrs and never had an issue. Guess we all can't be smart about what we put in our bodies.
And the point really is, if i burnt half my face off with my coffee I'd never even consider sueing McDonalds.... But to each his own i guess. Thanks for the candor.
Interesting 🤫
I'm down to McDonald's coffee ☕😄 1.00
The story was exactly what I have always heard. I never heard the part where she was driving. It was her fault. If I would have been on the jury it would have been hung. No personal responsibility anymore. PERIOD!
she wasn't driving. also, she got 3rd dsegree burns, and her labia fused together. If coffee from a fast food chain melts your flesh together and mutilates you, it is NOT your fault.
@@heyits_joanna Well actually it was her fault. There is literally no personal responsibility anymore. We can assume this wasn't her first cup of coffee from this place. So why did she never complain before? She was not in control of her surrounding so the fault is hers. Sorry to burst your liberal bubble. God bless,
she wasn't driving. and the product shouldn't have been hot enough to burn even if she'd poured it over herself on purpose.
@@berenicemarchese1593 Never said she was driving. If coffee isn't hot enough to burn you it's called water. Not ever hot water....just water.. Her fault! PERIOD! It's called "personal responsibility".
@Open Thinker this proves you didn't actually watch the documentary. Nor did your research. It was her son that was driving. What part of that isn't getting through your thick skull? Take a seat cause you're our of your depth on this.
"Used as intended"? McDonald's "intends" for people to hold a cup of hot coffee between their legs? It would never occur to me to do such a thing! I feel sorry for the lady regarding her injuries, but it was her own negligence! I think I'll go out and pee onto an electric fence somewhere, then sue the electric company for damages! That would make about as much sense!
Did you miss the part where Stella's daughter said that car model did not have cup holders? What could she do? Driving with near-boiling coffee was not any safer.
There is no need whatsoever for coffee to be so hot it can give third degree burns.
@@bondinvisibleScalds, actually. But then, customers would be complaining about their coffee not being hot!
@@JCarlosCS1221She could've set it onto the floor! And my understanding is that the car was parked!
She was careless and spilled it on herself, Nothing was misunderstood by the public. They correctly saw this as the problem with lawsuits having absurd results. People understood that you should not spill boiling water on yourself. That's why they are careful with kettles and pots of boiling water.
Then maybe McDonald’s shouldn’t serve a hot beverage like coffee via the drive thru. If carelessness was the cause of her burns then the jury wouldn’t have awarded her damages. The award was to encourage a change in the industry standard. It is irresponsible for a company to serve something so hot it could cause such harm. And the argument that they serve what the customer wants is BS. Most customers wouldn’t notice the difference in temperature
Yes nothing was misunderstood like she was totally driving it just burned her leg and she got millions oh wait no she had damage to her privates from 3rd degree burns, was sitting in a car and oh I don't she got less than
hello?? it was way hotterr than it was supposed to be. So that lawsuit was deserved. She also wasnt the only person to be hurt. others faced the same burns
you aren't supposed to drink drinks while they are boiling....
0:08 *ummmm $10k in medical bills $640k from the courts. I'd certainly say she won a lottery.*
I went into this video on McDonald's side and I'm even more on their side after watching the whole thing. All these comments supporting her, not sure what video you guys all watched. Did she sue the car company for not having enough cup holders? Did she sue the public education system or her parents for not teaching her common sense? Did she sue the manufacturer of the clothes she was wearing for not protecting her skin? No!
Coffee is meant to be very hot. The hotter it is, the more flavor is extracted. The hotter it's served, the longer it goes before getting cold. These things shouldn't have changed for something that was a statistical anomaly.
> *common sense*
I don't think someone saying "coffee is meant to be hot," ignoring that it is not something you flip on/off like a light switch, has any room to talk about "common sense" - seeing it's common sense that "not hot enough to cause 3rd degree burns in seconds" is not "not hot."
At 120 degrees, it takes 5 minutes for a liquid to cause 3rd degree burns; at 130 degrees it takes 30 seconds; at 140, 6, 150 2. That should clue anyone paying attention to the fact that the time taken to cause 3rd degree burns decreases exponentially when the temperature increases.
it's fraud. how tf is it mcdonalds' fault that she spilled on herself? the legal system is fucked.
You clearly haven't done your research. Let alone watch the Hot Coffee documentary. If you did. You would understand.
Ken Wagner- $$$🤑$$$. I can finally buy that pool my wife has been asking for!!!! Whoooo!!! Bling bling son!!
In no way did she deserve a penny for spilling coffe on her self.
You did watch the video, right? McDonalds was serving coffee at 197 degrees. That’s about 15x the temperature you serve coffee at home. She had third degree burns on her skin, and went into shock because of so much pain.
Kasha, did you even TRY to watch the video, or understand the contents of the video?
If you misuse a product like a car, a knife, a ladder, or a chain saw, then obviously it is not the manufacturers responsibility. The coffee that day was served at the recommended temperature of the coffee manufacturer, give or take 10 degrees. It's not about the injury that was sustained that day, it was obviously painful. It is entirely about the fact that it is her own doing, the coffee that day was just as hot at every other fast food joint.
Kasha the point was to CHANGE the standard it’s like you have no critical thinking skills at all.
Kasha. I still don't know what to think about this case. I watched the whole video twice and I do realize that the coffee was super hot. But who doesn't know that? The fact that she put it between her legs to take the lid off to add sugar is what bothers me. Have you ever tried to put a cup of anything between your legs to take off the lid? I have and the cup always bends in and can spill on you. I feel bad for her for her terrible burns but she should have used some common sense, so I pretty much agree with you.
John 3:16-21
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
This gay
Gabberz don’t even how fu*king spell right. Listen here you little sh*t they were doing there job ok 👌 it’s not like they knew. It was what they were told to do.
So are you.
You did watch the video, didn’t you? McDonalds has burned over 700 people, many of them very harmful. And they were also notified about every. single. burn.
So why don’t you shut the f*ck up and think about what you say before you say it.
She wanted to stir the drink between her knees ? 'Hot Coffee' Producers; Susan Saladoff, Carly Hugo, Rebecca Saladoff and Alan Oxman is all you need to know. For Karens, by Karens. Enjoy the Cool Aid.