The McDonald’s Hot Coffee Case

In 1992, Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old woman, purchased a cup of coffee from McDonald’s in New Mexico. While sitting in her parked car, she attempted to add cream and sugar when the coffee spilled, severely burning her legs, groin, and abdomen. She suffered third-degree burns, requiring skin grafts and hospitalization.

Liebeck initially asked McDonald’s to cover her medical expenses, but they refused. She filed a lawsuit, claiming that McDonald’s served coffee at an unreasonably high temperature (around 82–88°C), much hotter than home-brewed coffee, and that the company was negligent in failing to warn customers.

During the trial, evidence revealed that McDonald’s had received over 700 previous complaints of similar burns. The jury awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages (later reduced to $160,000) and $2.7 million in punitive damages. The punitive award was later reduced by the judge to $480,000. Eventually, the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

The case became infamous in popular culture, often cited as an example of a “ frivolous lawsuit.” However, legal scholars argue it illustrates product liability, negligence, and corporate responsibility. It remains a landmark case in U.S. civil law, particularly regarding tort law and consumer safety.

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2. Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
1. Frivolous	A) payments awarded to compensate losses
2. Negligent	B) subject to harm or injury
3. Compensatory damages	C) careless, failing to take proper precautions
4. Punitive damages	D)  not having any serious purpose or value
5.  landmark	E)  a surgical procedure to move a patch of healthy skin from one area of the body to another
6. Settlement	F) legal responsibility for manufactured goods
7. Product liability	G) formal agreement to resolve a dispute
8. Severe	H) well known for negative reasons
9. Infamous	I) extreme, intense
10. skin graft	J)  an event or discovery marking an important stage or turning point in something.

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3. Synonym Matching 

Word	Synonym
1. Evidence	a) case
2.  Jury	b) grievance
3. Plaintiff	c) decline
4. Lawsuit	d) proof
5. Refuse	e) complainant
6. Complaint	f) panel of citizens
7. Consumer	g) business
8. Corporate	h) customer
9. Settlement	i) carelessness
10. Responsibility	j) grant
11. Negligence	k) agreement
12. Award	l) liability

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4. Comprehension Questions & Discussion  

1. What caused Stella Liebeck’s injuries?

2. How did McDonald’s respond to her initial request?

3. Why was the coffee considered “unreasonably hot”?

4. What are punitive damages?

5. What does product liability mean in this context?

6. How many prior complaints had McDonald’s received?

7. Do you think the jury’s original award was fair? Why or why not?

8. How did media coverage affect public perception of the case?

9. What lessons can companies learn from this case?

10. Should consumers take more personal responsibility for accidents?

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5. Role-Play Exercises  

• Role Play A: One student is Stella Liebeck, another is McDonald’s lawyer. Discuss the claim, the coffee temperature, and responsibility.

• Role Play B: One student is the judge, others are presenting evidence for the plaintiff and defense. Judge asks: Was McDonald’s negligent? Did the temperature justify the lawsuit?

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6.Law Vocabulary – Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct legal term from the word bank. Each word is used only once.

Word Bank:
appeal • clause • precedent • jurisdiction • plaintiff • defendant • settlement • testimony • trial • prosecution • verdict • sentence • appeal • litigation • arbitration • affidavit • evidence • statute • contract • liability

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1. The lawyer advised his client to file an __________ against the court’s decision.

2. The contract contains a confidentiality __________ that prevents either party from sharing sensitive information.

3. The judge relied on a previous __________ when making her ruling.

4. The court does not have __________ over crimes committed outside the country.

5. The __________ claimed damages for breach of contract.

6. The __________ denied all accusations and maintained innocence.

7. The parties reached a financial __________ before going to court.

8. The witness gave __________ under oath during the hearing.

9. The criminal case will go to __________ next month.

10. The __________ argued that the suspect should be found guilty.

11. The jury returned a unanimous __________ of “not guilty.”

12. The judge handed down a ten-year prison __________.

13. The company faced expensive __________ after being sued by multiple customers.

14. Instead of going to court, the dispute was resolved through __________.

15. The witness signed an __________ confirming her statement.

16. The lawyer presented new __________ to support his client’s innocence.

17. Parliament recently passed a new __________ regulating data protection.

18. The two companies entered into a legally binding __________.

19. The court found the manufacturer had __________ for the defective product.

20. The defense lawyer announced the intention to file an __________ immediately.

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7. Question & Answer Exercises  

1. Q: What injuries did Stella Liebeck suffer?
    

2. Q: What temperature was the coffee served at?
    

3. Q: Why did Liebeck file a lawsuit?
    

4. Q: What are punitive damages?
    

5. Q: How many previous complaints had McDonald’s received?
    

6. Q: What does “negligent” mean?
    

7. Q: How was the compensatory award altered by the judge?
    

8. Q: What is “product liability”?
    

9. Q: What does “settlement” mean?
    

10. Q: Why is this case still discussed today?