Although the prior poster is absolutely correct - you can bring a lawsuit - your efforts will likely far exceed your financial gain. Even your personal data can be at risk of being compromised…. The infamous case involving a woman receiving third degree burns from McDonald’s coffee resulted in a huge product liability case. Although the Starbucks case is less severe, the woman affected received first and second degree hot coffee burns, and is getting a $100,000 settlement. To add insult to injury, McDonald’s countered her case with $800. Passengers can sue airlines if hot drinks are spilled on them, regardless of whether turbulence or other flight-related factors are to blame, EU court rules Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants, also known as the McDonald's coffee case and the hot coffee lawsuit, was a 1994 product liability lawsuit that became a flashpoint in the debate in the United States over tort reform. In both cases, it was determined that a 190 degree cup of coffee is excessively hot, more so than an average cup of coffee. If you only sustained second degree burns the case is likely not worth bringing a products liability action. You can sue. Yes if you end up in the hospital for 8 days. all rights reserved. The problem with serving hot beverages first garnered national attention in 1992 in the famous case of Liebeck v Can you sue a restaurant if you are scalded by hot coffee? So, how can we determine how dangerous is too dangerous for consumer products? The Burn That Launched a Hundred Lawsuits. In particular, purveyors of hot coffee have found themselves the targets of lawsuits after their customers suffer severe burns. If they served it at a temperature that would not burn you, you would complain that they're serving you cold coffee. If you have been injured by a dangerous product, Lufkin product liability attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC can use their experience taking on the big guys to represent you. This epitomizes the problem in this country. Although the temperature was within standards, it did not mean that McDonald’s wasn’t aware of how dangerous the coffee was. One may have been heard about this case in one way or another, but the Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants case is what put customer rights into the national spotlight. Whether you spilled a steaming hot cup of coffee at a restaurant or purchased it to consume at home, you may file a legal action for injuries if the cup was defective. https://www.carlsonattorneys.com/news-and-update/liebeck-v-mcdonalds https://priceonomics.com/how-a-lawsuit-over-hot-coffee-helped-erode-the-7th If so, contact us today for your legal options! Mr. Pascale is licensed to practice law in the State of New York. https://www.texaslawoffice.com/2017/05/29/can-sue-hot-coffee-burns Reporting your product injury could protect many others. Where Do Most Slip and Fall Accidents Occur? Now one would assume that such situations would get sympathy from the general public, but many had the assertion that Liebeck was to blame for the incident. Yes, Stacy Pincus of Chicago is suing the coffee chain for $5 million, claiming that it is not delivering the advertised number of fluid ounces of beverage to their paying customers. Liebeck’s dispute eventually went to trial, with Liebeck being awarded 2.7 million – although this case was settled before the appeal for an undisclosed amount. If we can’t help there is no charge. 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