The Dangers of McDonald's Coffee

Stella Lieback sued McDonald's for gross negligence after she suffered third-degree burns from a cup of coffee served at 180 degrees. Documents revealed that it was McDonald's company policy to serve its coffee between 180 and 190 degrees, which was 20 to 30 degrees warmer than any of its competitors. A burn expert testifying on Mrs. Lieback's behalf noted that a liquid at 160 degrees only takes 20 seconds of contact with human skin to produce a third-degree burn. Chris Appleton, the quality assurance manager for McDonald's, admitted that the company had not consulted with burn experts about the temperature of its coffee. He admitted that executives at McDonald's had decided not to warn consumers about the possibility