McDonald's is again being sued by a woman claiming damages as a result of burns from coffee spilled at one of their outlets.
This time, a case filed by Paulette Carr claims that she suffered injuries at a drive-through in California because "the lid for the hot coffee was negligently, carelessly and improperly placed on the coffee cup".
This new case comes 20 years after a jury awarded a $2.9 million to a woman who was badly burned after she spilled hot coffee into her lap at a McDonald's in Albuquerque. A judge later reduced the verdict to $640,000 and the case settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
The 1994 verdict attracted worldwide media attention and was mocked by radio and television talk-show hosts and in one episode of the television comedy, "Seinfeld". The verdict was also cited by proponents of tort reform.
For more on this story see the LA Times.
