Family Sues McDonald’s Over Hot Chicken Nuggets

TL;DR

McDonald's faces a lawsuit after a heated McNugget burns a child's thigh, with the jury finding the company not negligent but liable for the lack of warnings on the food.

Transcript

our next story takes us to Broward County Florida where a family sued McDonald's because they say that one of the restaurants chicken nuggets caused a serious burn to their child's thigh a jury came back Thursday with a split decision in court this week attorneys for Falana homes and Umberto Estevez said a 200 degree McNugget fell out of the Happy ... Read More

Key Insights

• 😋 The jury found McDonald's liable for failing to provide warnings on the food, which led to the girl's injury.
• 💼 The Hot Coffee case from the 1990s is often cited as an example of frivolous lawsuits, but the details of the case were more complex than commonly believed.
• 👶 McDonald's knew of multiple instances of its coffee causing serious burns, including to children.
• ☕ The temperature of coffee served at McDonald's was much hotter than coffee brewed at home, increasing the risk of burns.
• 🔡 The victim in the Hot Coffee case, Stella Liebeck, originally requested a low amount to cover her medical costs before suing McDonald's.
• ⌛ Liebeck's compensatory and punitive damages were reduced multiple times and ultimately settled out of court.
• 💼 Failure to warn is a type of liability case, and in this case, McDonald's was found liable for not warning about the hot McNuggets.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the chicken McNugget cause the burn?

According to the family, a 200-degree McNugget fell onto the child's lap in the car and got stuck between her leg and the seat belt, causing the burn.

Q: Was McDonald's found negligent for causing the burns?

No, McDonald's was found not negligent for causing the burns. However, the jury determined that the company failed to put warnings on the food, which led to the girl's injury.

Q: How much are the family seeking in damages?

The family is seeking fifteen thousand dollars in damages. Another trial will determine the final amount that McDonald's and the franchise owner will have to pay.

Q: How does this lawsuit compare to the famous McDonald's Hot Coffee case?

This lawsuit reinforces the idea of frivolous lawsuits. However, the details in the McDonald's Hot Coffee case were often misunderstood or misrepresented.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• A family sued McDonald's after a chicken McNugget burned their four-year-old's thigh in a car accident, claiming negligence.

• The jury determined that McDonald's failed to provide warnings on the food but was not responsible for causing the burns.

• The family is seeking damages, and another trial will determine the amount McDonald's and the franchise owner will have to pay.