The Truth About the McDonald’s Scalding Coffee Case

Tort reform activists have routinely mocked the McDonald’s scalding coffee case in which Stella Liebeck sued McDonald’s after being scalded by a cup of coffee purchased at one of the chain’s restaurants as the "poster child" for frivolous lawsuits. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the actual facts in the case, which show that the injuries suffered by Liebeck were severe, that McDonald’s had refused to settle the case for $20,000 prior to trial, and that there was extensive testimony at trial concerning McDonald’s knowledge of the serious burn hazard presented by their coffee.

For a comprehensive discussion of the case, including quotations from a Wall Street Journal article on the case, see here.

About the Author

Tom D'Amore is the founder of D'Amore Law Group and a trial attorney with over 30 years of experience representing injured people and their families across the West Coast, securing more than $325 million in recoveries. He handles cases involving car accidents, trucking accidents, construction injuries, medical malpractice, and sexual abuse. Licensed in Oregon, Washington, and California, Tom is the only NBTA board-certified truck accident attorney in Oregon. He is a national Board of Governors member, past Executive Committee member, and past Budget and Audit Chair of the American Association for Justice, as well as past President of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and an Eagle member of the Washington State Association for Justice.